


Criminal!Multimouse

by Miraculous_786



Series: Miraculous: Stories [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bisexual Kagami Tsurugi, Dragon Kagami Tsurugi | Ryuko, Dragon Ladybug Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Dragonbug, Dragon Miraculous, F/M, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Mentioned Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain, Mouse Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Mouse Miraculous, Protective Jason Todd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:14:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 22,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21833506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miraculous_786/pseuds/Miraculous_786
Summary: It all stemmed from a miniature meeting with Multimouse. The thief known for her rivalry against Cat Woman, and returning stolen objects without using them for her own needs.From there, Nightwing and his brothers find themselves curious as to who the woman is, and none more than Jason Todd. Why does the female seem so familiar? Why does she steal? Why does she remind him of his little sister from years ago?
Relationships: Batfamily Members & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Jason Todd, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne/Kagami Tsurugi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi
Series: Miraculous: Stories [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755973
Comments: 178
Kudos: 1548





	1. One

"Nightwing, do you have a visual on the entrance?"

"Yep, it's in clear sight," he answered, "They haven't appeared yet."

Sighing, Red Hood sat down beside Richard, on the edge of a building overlooking the Museum. His brother payed him no mind, as he pulled out his phone.

Meanwhile, Robin perched on a gargoyle situated in the shadows, awaiting any orders. The communication piece in his ear, however, didn't sound, allowing his tense posture to relax slightly.

In the corner of his vision, he spotted a shadow moving, making his head swivel in suspicion. Narrowing his eyes, he shuffled in the direction as to where it had passed, and soon managed to make out the sight of a female strolling down the street.

Sighing, he spoke, "There's a civilian out walking, I'm going to go ask her to leave in case something happens."

Red Robin answered, "Just make it quick, we don't want to miss the thief."

Even though his brother couldn't see him, he faintly nodded, readying himself to land behind her.

The moon showered the girl in a faint light, letting him see her clothing. A grey blazer was worn atop a white shirt, which displayed an intricate flower pattern starting from just below the waist.

The woman's pink jeans reached her ankles, showing pale freckled skin between the cuffs of the clothing and black flats.

Before he could call out to her, a male loudly whispered, "The guard has just passed the McGuffin. I repeat, the guard has just passed the McGuffin."

Nightwing chuckled. "Really, Red Robin? 'McGuffin'?"

"Yeah, it's not as if this woman will show up anytime soon," Jason scoffed, rolling his eyes beneath the helmet.

Distracted by the bickering in his ear, Robin grumpily mumbled under his breath, before looking back down the street, only to see the female gone.

His eyes widened, but he didn't have time to contemplate her disappearance, as Red Robin informed, "The Mouse has sights on the cheese."

Nightwing suddenly stood up straight, with Red Hood lazily copying the movement beside him. Damian grappled towards the apartment Red Robin was on, noting how the man fixated his gaze on the Museum roof.

Sure enough, a short figure clad mostly in grey emerged from the shadows, the lamps overhead lighting up her figure.

Her raven hair sat in two buns atop her head, tied with pink ribbons. A mask with black peeking on the borders of it covered a large portion of her face, while also protecting her identity. The upper half was a bright pink, that made her bluebell eyes shimmer and stand out in the night.

Now with a closer look at the woman, the males noticed how around her waist was what appeared to be a skipping rope, dangling idly at her side. Her hands, reaching up to her elbows, were covered in a jet black material, along with her legs from the knees downward.

More pink highlighted her extremities, the rest of her suit a pale grey.

Raising his eyebrow at the attire, Damian watched as the Mouse, as they had dubbed her, pulled off the rope from her body, and held it in her hands. Suddenly, a hot pink glow radiated from it in her grip, as she began to spin it in circles beneath her feet.

After ten rotations of jumping over it, she threw it over her head, the rope spinning vigorously whilst a white glow enveloped it.

"Multitude!" Robin heard the clearly French girl say, as it wrapped around her body several times before all that was visible was a blinding pink light surrounding her.

Nightwing recoiled in surprise, with Red Hood spluttering, "What the f-"

They were all stunned into silence when the glow dissipated, revealing the same woman with a white energy coiling around the charcoal black of her boots.

Before they could utter another word, she walked behind a nearby extractor fan, blocking their view of her movements.

Immediately, they grappled to a roof where it was possible to see where she went, but when they got there, she was nowhere in sight.

"I've never seen technology like that before," Tim breathed, still shocked from the display.

"You sure that was technology?" Jason asked, "Looked more like something from a 'magical girl' show if you ask me."

"We need to stop her from stealing the artifact," Damian stated, already annoyed with Red Hood, "It shouldn't take her too long to get it."

Nightwing quickly picked up on his implication. "Good idea, Baby Bird! We'll wait until she comes out with it, then confront her."

The males all agreed, with Red Robin jumping onto the Museum roof, so that his eyes could focus on the hatch through which she had entered. He stayed put in the shadows, his brothers waiting in trepidation.

However, when the hatch finally opened, Tim raised his eyebrow at the fact that no one seemed to have pushed it in the first place.

Before he could question it, he spotted a mop of dark hair just barely poking out of the hatch, the hairstyle in two buns.

"See her, yet?" Red Hood quizzed, all of a sudden beside Tim.

Startled, the latter turned in surprise, only to look back to where he was previously gazing as a pink flash, suddenly followed by a red one, shone. Jason focused his attention on the hatch, as him and his brother noticed how the hairstyle on the woman had miraculously changed.

Now, as Marinette clambered up the rest of the ladder's steps, her braided bun on the back of her head shifted as she searched her surroundings with her eyes.

Confirming that it was empty, she pulled out the yo-yo sat at her hip, and slid her finger across it. Opening up, the weapon showed a glowing white abyss, that Marinette dropped the Cat Emerald into.

She let out a small smile, before closing it up, and spinning it to warm up her dominant arm. Throwing it at a chimney, she tugged on the line, before leaping off the Museum.

Red Robin was the first to break out of his stupor, grappling in the same direction that she had headed. As he neared to where she was, his eyes caught sight of her swinging with the yo-yo, the end latching on to different poles without a problem.

_Maybe she really is using magic._

Robin kept to the shadows, as he jumped in sync in an alley below the Mouse. Her line latched onto another lamppost, small body following behind.

All of a sudden, a Batarang came into contact with the yo-yo, knocking it off of the pole. Yelping, Marinette caught herself in midair with the wings stretched across her back.

As she landed on the ground with barely a whisper of noise, a male caught the weapon he had just thrown, his expression carefully monotone despite the fact that he was shocked at the display of her wings.

Marinette noticed Robin inching closer to her, as she spun her yo-yo in a vigorous circle. All it appeared to be was red blur, held out in a way for protection.

Three figures gracefully stood beside Robin now, Ladybug realised. Her eyes darted between the quartet, noting how Red Robin was staring intently at the wings that slowly folded back on their own accord.

Nightwing held his hands out in a placating manner, walking forwards in measured steps. Though his movement seemed casual, she still kept the yo-yo turning, as she saw his eyes wander from the weapon to her mask.

"Listen, Mouse. We don't want a fight," he said, glancing at the object in her grip, "Just hand over the Cat Emerald, and this won't have to get violent."

Red Hood gazed at Ladybug thoughtfully, wondering why her appearance seemed to confuse him, in some way. Whenever he guessed about who she could be behind the mask, a fuzzy feeling settled in his head, muddling up his train of thought.

"And have you take me to jail?" she smoothly replied, "No thanks."

Nightwing tensed, pulling out one escrima stick, as Ladybug lunged forward. He attempted to hit the yo-yo out of her hand, but the constant spinning allowed her to whack his staff out of the way when it came close.

Red Robin charged into the scuffle, Marinette easily evading the incoming staff. Dick suddenly grabbed his other stick, eyes narrowed at Ladybug.

The trio began to battle again, metal slamming repeatedly against each other with every swipe. Ladybug was slowly being led backwards, the two clanging their weapons against hers in an attempt to knock her out.

Jason watched nearby, but soon landed quietly behind Marinette with guns at the ready. Unfortunately, her wings twitched as he made his presence known, as she twisted round and kicked him in the gut.

He flew a far distance, leaving everyone shocked because of her sheer strength. Using their frozen states to her advantage, Ladybug tossed the yo-yo upwards, unaware of Robin an arm's distance away from the pole it wrapped around.

She ran into the wall it was at, running upwards as the yo-yo held her upright. However, just as she made it to the top, a leg swiped beneath hers, making her stumble.

In surprise, she fell back down onto the ground, where the males stood waiting. Her back made a harsh impact with the cement, making her groan in discomfort.

They stood in a semicircle, cornering her against a wall behind her. Marinette picked up the clattered yo-yo, noticing the males tense in anticipation for an oncoming move.

She instead placed it back on her hip and held her right hand out at her side. "Tikki-" she stated, the symbol of the Ladybug miraculous appearing at her fingertips.

"Longg." Holding out her other hand in the same way, the symbol of the Dragon miraculous materialised out of thin air.

She brought both hands together, intertwining her fingers in front of her chest, saying, "Unify!"

Nightwing stepped backwards, watching as black slithered it's way up her suit, and a symbol containing containing three shapes in a circle appeared at the centre of her chest.

She thew them all one last smirk, before her arms moved upwards in the shape of a 'T'.

"Wind Dragon!"

One shape on the symbol glowed, as a white mist swirled around Dragonbug.

_Wait, is she turning into the mist?_

The gas flew up, colour changing so that it was invisible to the naked eye. Dick authoritatively commanded, "Split up, and try and find her!"

They all obeyed, prying eyes searching any allies in the vicinity. Red Hood looked about the farthest, intent on finding her the most.

_Why does she seem so familiar?_

He was broken out of his thoughts not by the strange aura of the woman, but her herself, standing confidently on a neighbouring rooftop.

Jason ran after her quickly retreating figure, as he was able to spot a sword strapped to her back. For some reason, the blade of it didn't look particularly sharp, however, he didn't want to test if it was.

He followed her silhouette into another alley, jumping down when she did too. When he landed, he searched the place, wondering where she had disappeared to.

From behind, a shadow walked to him, making his head swivel to it. Up close, he could see the smallest of hexagons making up the material of her suit in the reflective light, which now had no sword on the back as she pulled it out.

"I've got the Bug," he stated into his comm, before readying himself for an onslaught of attacks.

Sure enough, she swiped at him in all directions, the only thing keeping him safe the years of experience he had in physical combat. However, it seemed as if she was more of an expert as him, when he soon found himself pinned onto the concrete.

Squirming, he inwardly marvelled at the fact that she didn't even flinch when he moved, but soon his eyes widened when a hand came to take off his helmet.

He was facing upwards, arms tied with the yo-yo string, meaning that she would see his face straight away. Jason tried to face towards the ground, but she simply kept him still as the helmet was now within her grasp.

There were a few seconds of silence, as Jason squeezed his eyes tight. The clatter of his helmet made him open them, where he saw Dragonbug, mouth wide open and eyes glistening.

Her fingers came to touch his face, making him shift away in anger from the hand, but he soon calmed when she quietly whispered, "Jay-Jay?"

She cupped his cheek, teeth biting her lip as she pushed his white-streaked bangs out of his face. His eyes widened, taking in the sight of her locks.

The lamp made the strands appear an unnatural navy blue, and highlighted the red ribbons sticking out from her bun.

"Nettie?" he awed, voice just as quiet as hers.

"Jay-Jay!" Marinette cried, clutching him to her chest. The yo-yo around his wrists slackened, allowing his hands to move.

Before he could return the embrace, a sudden noise made the duo jump, as smoke invaded both of their visions.

Jason intertwined their fingers, squeezing for reassurance, but he soon found himself cold as a kick against her back pushed her away from him.

As the fog cleared, Nightwing and Red Robin stood with their weapons held offensively, aimed at Dragonbug. She glanced around disoriented, before her eyes caught sight of the men.

Inching backwards, she pulled out her sword, holding it defensively as they came forward. As they attacked, Marinette parried and dodged, intent on getting closer to Jason.

The sight of his terrified yet angry face kept flashing in her mind again, making it difficult to concentrate on fighting the trained combatants.

While she fought, Robin held a hand out for Jason, which the latter took in a daze, and stood up. He caught a snatch of Marinette being hit hard on the stomach in his vision, and her clutching the organ in pain.

Red Robin spun his baton in a fast circle, pushing Dragonbug onto the ground. She huffed, pain shooting through her front.

Only Jason saw the glance she gave to him, her eyes wanting to tell a hundred stories and hear more from him, but his brothers unfortunately stood tall and on-guard in front of her, preventing their long-awaited reunion.

Before he knew what he was doing, he stepped forward, just as Tim was about to knock her out.

"Stop!"

He froze, as did Nightwing, whilst Marinette's bluebell eyes glistened with an emotion he couldn't quite decipher. It was grateful, happy, and sad all at the same time.

All that she managed to do, with thoughts shooting through her mind a million miles an hour, was send him a small smile, before shouting, "Lightning Dragon!"

Yellow crackles surrounded her body, as a bolt of lightning shot upwards and out of view, leaving not even her weapons behind.

Immediately, the boys turned to him after watching her leave, with Tim stressing, "She knows what you look like, and you let her get away?!"

Robin seemed to be wanting to say something snarky at the same time as Tim's rambling, while Nightwing stepped forward and tentatively asked, "Jason?"

Only, he didn't give him a glance.

He just stared longingly after the girl that was practically his younger sister until years ago.

"Tim?" Jason called in a dazed voice.

Said person only went silent, taking in how Red Hood looked almost in a trance.

"I need you to research Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

**~*~*~**

_**Redesigned Ladybug Outfit Artworks:** [1](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/190182845857/a-miniature-meeting-with-multimouse-ladybugs) [2](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/190273227792/miraculous786-86-heres-the-fan-art-i-wouldve) [3](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/619381221976342528/a-miniature-meeting-with-multimouse-fan) [4](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/614213568417644544/%D9%A9-%DB%B6-aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh-masterlist) [5](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/614213221694455808/um-i-made-a-thing-shes-not-my-best-work-but) [6](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/614299634543755264/based-on-a-miniature-meeting-with-multimouse) [7](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/618705176238407680/fanart-of-a-miniature-meeting-with-multimouse-by)_


	2. Two

"Lightning Dragon!"

Yellow sparks filled her vision, as everything around her became numb for a brief moment. When she finally regained the feeling of her feet on cement, she pulled out the yo-yo that had materialised at her waist, and swung off.

The night air blew at her fringe as her body fell in a dive, before the string was pulled taught and sent her careening upwards again.

Marinette passed several buildings, everything zooming past in a blur as her feet brought her to the suite she lived in. As soon as she saw her window in sight, wide open and inviting, she angled her body so that it was perfectly in line with the space.

Small feet made contact with the carpet lining the ground, barely making a whisper of noise in the empty room.

"Longg, Divide!"

A red flash shone on the nearby furniture, just before Marinette said, "Tikki, Spots Off."

Magic melted off her form, leaving an exhausted young adult to flop onto an elongated leather couch. It deflated slightly at her weight, as she groaned and pushed her face into the cushions.

Tikki zipped around Marinette's head, before deciding to perch on the coffee table. "Marinette, who was that?" the kwami asked in an innocent voice.

If it weren't for the person she'd seen, she would've chuckled at the god's naivety, but instead rose her head from the supple leather and blinked blearily, spotting Longg from the corner of her sight flying into the Miracle Box.

"He was..."

Letting out a sigh, she stood up, stretching out her muscles and hearing a satisfying noise when she did. They were sore after the recent scuffle, making her movements difficult as she forced her legs to take her to the kitchen counter.

Sitting on the placed stool, Tikki floated onto the marble structure, turning her small head around just in time to see all of the kwami making their way over.

Leading them all was Longg, followed by Plagg, Pollen, Wayzz and all of the Zodiac gods. Quietly, Nooroo slunk behind, his wings fluttering hesitantly as he landed where the others were.

Sensing his sadness, Marinette slowly reached out her hand, running a thin finger around the purple swirl on his forehead. He leaned into the touch, making a satisfied smile grace her features.

The female placed a basket on the counter, watching in amusement as the kwami all rushed to munch on their respective treats in the different sections of it.

"Guardian, you seemed to be surprised by that man you saw," Longg coolly reminded, voice formal yet holding a spark of curiosity.

The gods perked up simultaneously at the statement, more than a dozen pairs of wide eyes suddenly meeting her bluebell ones.

Sighing, she pressed her palms against her eyelids, before feeling several of them cuddle into her cheeks, hair and neck.

Nuzzling back, she placed several sweet and chaste kisses on their heads, but soon glanced to the side in sadness with another forlorn exhale of air.

"He was my brother."

She suddenly felt the sensation of a tear rolling down her cheek, prompting her to wipe her skin briskly and let out a pitiful sniffle.

"He disappeared, years ago," she informed, "I thought he was-"

Marinette's voice cracked, causing the kwami to push harder into her hunched figure. "I though he was dead."

The female cast a glance towards her bedroom, as she slowly limped over to the entrance and opened it quietly.

Her bed was blanketed in a white-spotted duvet, with a pink background. The famous MDC logo curled around the edge of the cover, reminding her of her day job.

Beside the piece of furniture, a dresser snugly sat between it and the wall. On top of it was a picture frame, stood facing the direction Marinette was in.

Before she knew what she was doing, her hand had reached for the photo within the square, and a drop of water suddenly dropped onto the paper.

"He's alive," she choked, eyes glistening and fingers tightening around the image.

The kwami watched in sullen silence as the Guardian clutched the object to her chest and bawled on the bed, happy and sad all at the same time at the sight of her brother.

"I'm going to kill that man," Plagg decided, the other gods agreeing without hesitation.


	3. Three

Jason kept his expression level on the way back to the Bat Cave, despite the whirlwind of emotions causing destruction in his mind. Memories flashed spontaneously in front of his eyes as the roar of his motorcycle tore through the silent atmosphere.

The wheels skidded to a halt at the garage in the Bat Cave, where he pulled of his helmet and parked the vehicle, before making his way to the guest bedroom - practically his bedroom.

He ran his fingers through his tousled hair, pushing away the white streak from his forehead.

Jason collapsed onto the bed's mattress, not caring that the clean duvet became dotted with the mud from his pants and costume.

"Marinette," he breathed, "What happened?"

Consciously, his eyes wandered to a picture frame hung on the wall directly across from the bed, which held a photo with two figures beaming at the camera.

Legs moved towards the image. Fingers traced the Asian female with her hair in two pigtails and ribbons hanging out unevenly.

He tensed, head down and nails digging into his palms when his hands clenched into fists.

"I made a promise back then, Nettie..."

His eyes focused again on the portrait.

"...and I plan to keep it."

**~*~*~**

Tim took another gulp of coffee from his purple mug, dismissing the fact that 'World's Best Sister' was painted bold and in black across the surface.

His fingers nimbly pressed against a dozen more keys, as his eyes scanned the screen close-by with his neck craned upwards.

Footsteps from behind resounded in his ears, however, he didn't both turning back. It was already obvious who the male was thanks to his steady pace and sudden cursing when he almost tumbled over a Batarang that lay carelessly on the ground.

"Sup, Timbers."

Said male gave a nod of acknowledgement, feeling the presence of Jason lean over his shoulder and peer at the computer screen.

Before the man could utter a word, he was cut off by a deep sigh.

"What do you want?"

Jason scoffed, folding his arms childishly. "Bold of you to assume that I wanted something from you."

He raised an eyebrow, but turned back to the keyboard nonetheless and carried on with his work, knowing that his brother would soon spit out what he needed at 12 o'clock at midnight.

Jay inhaled deeply, before speaking once again.

"Remember how I told you to research someone?"

There was a small margin of silence, where Jason suddenly began to regret his spur-of-the-moment decision.

"I believe her name was Marinette?" Tim questioned, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

After a few seconds consisting of the younger male closing several tabs, he finally opened a new one, and began to type.

Three dots appeared in large font, lighting up the Cave in a tinged blue glow that made Jason rub his eyes and the tears that were almost dried on his cheeks.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, 20, almost 21, and owns a private flat nearby to where the Museum is."

Jason glanced up, reading the large text.

"She moved here from Paris just over two years ago, lives alone, and according to this, her income comes from commissions on a website she created."

The older male let out a miniature smile, remembering the times when his sister drew out a multitude of drawings to show him whenever they met up.

He let out a wistful sigh, unaware that Tim had noticed him spacing out. However, he only returned his attention to the computer, not saying a word about his brother and instead thinking internally to himself.

_They must have been close._

His lips twitched upwards.

_Jason and a girl - close?_

_The boys will get a kick out if this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A MiNiaTuRe smile??
> 
> mULtiTuDe of drawings??


	4. Four

Jason scribbled down two addresses and a phone number on a notepad, not caring that the letters were almost illegible to anyone other than him.

As he wrote, he chanced a glance at Tim, who was busy scanning his eyes across the computer screen, enraptured by the information.

The older man clicked the end of a blue pen, causing the nib to be pushed back into the plastic casing. He tapped the stationery on his chin every second, searching Marinette's profile for any other important details.

There was a cough beside him.

"Jay..."

Said person turned his head to Timothy.

"...did she know you were alive?"

The question caused him to freeze up, which didn't go unnoticed by Drake. However, instead of pushing the matter, he simply carried on filing though digital notes.

"...She didn't. In fact, she had no idea about me even being in Gotham."

There was an awkward silence after the answer, and so to break it, Jason cleared his throat and asked, "Is it okay if you search her up in Paris? I'm lost as to why she moved without her parents and when she's so young."

"Me too," Tim agreed, "You think they had a falling out?"

"Doubt it. They were super close when I met them, and she's an only child," he explained, "Nettie helped in their bakery all the time."

"Right. I'll pull up the Paris records, but it might take a minute."

As he typed on the keyboard, Jason focused his vision around the Bat Cave, noticing the discarded Batarangs and yellow cape on the ground.

_Looks like someone was lazy._

Tim clicked on a folder, while at the same time reaching for his purple mug of coffee. When he did so, he found that there was nothing to grab at, and so he turned his gaze up.

Jason was smugly slurping the liquid from the cup, maintaining eye contact with a raised eyebrow, as if daring his brother to do something.

The younger one only sighed and filled in the search bar with 'Marinette Dupain-Cheng'.

His sudden whistle echoed through the Cave, prompting Jason to turn just as he said, "That's a lot of results."

When Jay looked up, his eyes couldn't help but widen, pouring through the several article titles displayed, all from French news outlets. The snippets of words he managed to catch with his decent knowledge in the language almost made him sick to his stomach, and he could tell Tim felt the same.

He clicked on one, and soon a video began to play.

After a few seconds consisting of Tim fiddling with the settings and adding American subtitles, he finally switched the volume on, leaving a woman's vocals to reach their ears.

The text on the bottom provided him with everything he needed to know about Marinette's situation.

As the woman called Nadja Chamack explained, his fists clenched and teeth gritted in anger.

_Those people did what to her?!_

**~*~*~**

Taking another bite out of a buttered toast, Richard placed down his glass of water, and stared out of a window straight ahead.

The sunlight that filtered through it allowed him to see the two other people sat at the dining table - Damian and Bruce Wayne.

His adoptive father had come back recently to Gotham, and so for the past few days, Dick and his brothers had to patrol around the city.

He was currently reading a newspaper, whilst drinking from a plain white mug of tea, since Alfred had restricted coffee from him.

There was a comfortable silence in the spacious room, until it was broken by Jason stumbling in and sitting himself on one of the wooden chairs beside Damian.

Jason set down his plate of pancakes, proceeding to eat them without making any attempt at conversation with the others.

After around two minutes of quiet consisting of Jay tapping his feet impatiently in a monotonous rhythm and the rustling of papers from Bruce, Dick decided to speak up.

"Hey, Jaybird?"

The nicknamed person perked up, making eye contact with Richard. That was when the elder noticed dark bags beneath the red rimmed eyes of his brother, and constant clenching of his fists.

"What's wrong?" he questioned.

The only reply he got was a shake of the head, and a quick mutter. "Nothing."

Though he definitely doubted the statement, and so did Bruce with his quick glance up, there were no other words exchanged for another moment.

"Does this have something to do with the Mouse yesterday?" Dick asked in a hushed voice, so as to not anger the already tense figure.

Jason froze, just before Bruce said, "I heard what happened last night at the Museum, Damian and Dick informed me."

Todd levelled a glare at Richard, who had the decency to shrink back slightly, however, Damian had the bright idea of scoffing, "Yeah. Todd here is friends with a criminal, why am I not surprised?"

"Actually, Damian, I wouldn't say she's a criminal."

The sentence made all their heads turn to him in unison.

"I've found thieves knocked out and tied up with the same symbol she leaves in her robberies. The people she's saved even confirmed that it was her, and that she told them to refer to her as 'Multimouse'."

The symbol was intricate and detailed, usually painted or drawn in a maroon red substance - thankfully, it was never blood. None of the Waynes could identify the source of the image, yet from the spectacle yesterday by the Mouse, they had come to the conclusion that it was magical.

Caught up in the surprise of Bruce's information, none noticed Jason and his steadily rising anger from the topic, that caused the Lazarus aura within him to coil out into the atmosphere.

"Just because she helps out a few Gothamites in need, it doesn't make her some superhero," Damian remarked, arms folded. "If anything, her childish buns and pink with grey costume prove she's faking being innocent and all-"

He was cut off by Jason suddenly slamming his fist down on the table, making them jerk their heads to him.

His back was arched, almost reminiscent of a raging cat, as he hissed through gritted teeth to Damian, "I suggest you stop talking about my _sister_ like that, Demon Spawn."

None of the males could even think about questioning his behaviour, since the sound of the front door closing noisily echoed in the now silent Manor not even a minute later.


	5. Five

The first sight to greet Marinette as she begrudgingly inched her eyes open was the cork board straight in front of her bed, with unfinished sketches and drafts pinned to it.

One of her favorite commissions that she currently had was a suit for the upcoming Wayne Gala, that was stuck right in the centre of the board with post-it notes around.

A rumbling purr sounding in her ears made her blink tiredly as she sat up on the soft mattress and glanced down at the pillow. The source of the noise was Plagg, who was nestled deep within the fabric of the furniture with a content smile on his face.

She giggled, finally getting used to the bright sunlight from the curtains now that she was fully awake.

The laughing startled Tikki, causing the kwami to shift around on Marinette's mess of black hair, appearing blue in the presence of light.

"Good morning, Tikki," she said in a hushed tone, picking her up off her head and holding her gently against her cheek.

Tiny paws hugged back, though their size prevented the action from having too much of an effect.

"Morning, Marinette! Did you have a good rest?" she questioned, concern hinted in her curious bluebell orbs.

"Yeah, it was pretty good, actually," the designer answered, "Well, with what happened last night, I think it was decent enough to give me enough energy for the day."

"Speaking of which, do you know what time it is?"

"Umm, I'm not sure, actually. Sass?"

A blue creature, more of a turquoise in shade, popped his head up from a bundle of nearby pillows, saying to the female, "Yes, Guardian?"

"Can you tell me what time it is, please?"

He zipped towards the alarm clock on the bedside, tail whipping behind him, consciously aware of the fact that Marinette wanted to avoid the frame containing an image of herself and Jason.

At his answer, she eased up off the bed and slowly made her way to the attached bathroom, minding the cat kwami by keeping her actions quiet.

Cold water splashed her face, dripping down to her neck and into the marble sink. It sunk into her skin, the temperature prompting a shiver to roll through her body.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Marinette finally began to get dressed, deciding to adorn a short pale pink dress along with black leggings. Over it, she wore her signature grey blazer, that covered up the MDC logo on the fabric beneath.

Tikki flew into view, just as the woman stood in front of the tall and narrow mirror attached to the wardrobe in her room. She could make out bags visible beneath her eyes, along with strands of hair sticking out at random across the top of her head messily.

"This is exciting, Marinette! We've got a whole day to work on your newest commission!" the kwami enthused, vibrating in anticipation.

"I know, right!" Marinette agreed, "I bet Monsieur Drake will be very happy with the result, don't you think?"

Tikki giggled, floating into her designated spotted purse with her other companions.

After combing through her locks thoroughly, she settled on it being in a long plait, resting along her back. The bobble holding it together was pink in shade, matching the two identical bows situated on both sides of her head.

Unlocking the front door to the private flat, Marinette gave one last satisfied sigh at the large living room, before exiting quietly.

The different pieces of jewellery she wore seemed to weigh an excessive ton as she strolled to her destination.

**~*~*~**

As Marinette walked towards the studio she owned, she couldn't help but reminisce of her time back in Paris, and the memories there.

It still felt as if it was yesterday when she woke up to the fresh smell of toast and pastries, an aroma that triggered both good and bad within her now.

_I bet Mother and Father regret practically disowning me back then now, huh?_

So lost in her own thoughts, the only thing that broke her out of her dazed stupor was the shuffling of several kwami in her purse, alerting that she had reached her-

_-...studio?_

Her eyes narrowed, glancing about nervously yet with a hint of suspicion. The street she was on was mostly deserted, only inhabited by herself and a few other rich residents.

Though there was no one around, the hairs on the back of her neck stood, and her fists clenched until the skin on her palms slightly bled.

Marinette sauntered forward, heels clicking steadily on the hardened cement beneath her feet. A nearby gargoyle was where she next focused her gaze, the structure catching her attention for a brief period.

The door softly clicked as it closed, leaving the young bluenette to search around, infatuated with the aura she sensed.

It reeked of magic, destructive magic, specifically, all about her surroundings, including the outside of the studio.

Even Tikki, usually calm and collected, zipped all over, searching methodically for the source of it.

However, the kwami soon stopped in her hunt with the others, as the current Guardian shuffled in the direction of one of the building's windows.

Pale pink curtains hung above it, draping down to block out the harsh sunlight radiating from the Sun. The fabric blew back in Marinette's direction from the wind, that caused the studio to have an unusually chilled temperature.

Just out of the corner of her vision, Marinette spotted a blotch of white, in the shape of a rectangle. She reached out to it, fingers slightly trembling when she grasped the paper.

All it had on was a short message; though the gist of it and who had wrote it was clear to the designer.

**'21 - 22:00 : Patrol'**


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the last chapter! :)

The sound of a pencil sketching on paper echoed throughout the room, as Marinette sat at her wooden desk. On it, was her most recent commission, that she had been working on for the past few hours. Her tongue stuck out in concentration, whilst her eyes were focused and hands extremely steady.

Picking up a nearby eraser, she scrubbed it against the paper filled with designs and detailed drawings, with notes in French jotted down beside them. The pencil markings began to fade, making her let out a sigh of relief as she proceeded to write again.

Whilst Marinette was concentrating on the current task, she didn't notice the several kwami settled on a table behind her, staring at her with looks that could only be described as doting.

"The Guardian appears to be very stressed at this moment in time," Ziggy noted, his tone holding pathos even though his usual attitude was the opposite in nature.

"Yes, she is," Tikki agreed. "It's a habit of hers to work on commissions when she needs to get her mind off of things."

"And I'm guessing that this certain 'thing' is the topic of her brother?"

"You would be right, Daizzi. It just pains me to see Marinette so worked up over it. Especially after believing the man was dead for years."

Mullo, who had previously shied away from speaking, suddenly asked, "We are still going to do what we discussed last night, right? With Plagg?"

Giggling, with an undertone of mischievousness, Tikki replied, "Of course we are! We'll show that brother of hers what he deserves for upsetting my holder! After they reconcile first, of course."

The kwami nodded in agreement and understanding, before focusing their attention back on Marinette, who had now taken to looking up reference images on the laptop in her lap for guidance.

"Right now, my friends, I advise that we help the Guardian release her stress in an appropriate manner," Longg stated, waving his tinged red arms about.

They all nodded, floating forward and in the direction of the designer. She noticed their forms, prompting her to shut her laptop and face them.

"Hello, guys!" she greeted. "Sorry that I couldn't really talk to you for the past few hours. Things have been..."

Glancing to the side, she caught sight of a small paper pinned to one of the cork boards.

"It's no problem, Guardian - we understand! We were actually wondering if you could take us to the coffee shop nearby, if that's fine. They have the best carrot cake there!"

"Of course, Daizzi! Just let me grab my purse!" Marinette responded, a bright beam gracing her features.

Turning away, she stood and strolled over to the bag, shifting to wrap it over her shoulder and across her chest. Mullo, Tikki and Daizzi settled within it, already reaching for the variety of snacks accompanying them in there.

Smiling to the other kwami, she allowed Longg to float into one of her necklaces - the one higher above her neck - that flashed a bubblegum pink as he fazed through. Ziggy also zipped into one of the two light fuchsia bows situated on the sides of her head.

Adjusting the anklet wrapped just above her foot, Marinette sauntered to the building's front door, feeling the assuring presences of the kwami surround her in an aura of safeness along with positivity.

**~*~*~**

Letting out a resigned sigh, Damian Wayne bent down to sit at a raised stool, that resided right in the corner of the café, with his moderately hot drink in hand. He pulled the lid off of it, watching as steam wafted into the air around.

His lips made contact with the cup, as the caffeinated liquid trickled down his throat and spread a faint warmth throughout his body.

_Drake will never know._

People bustled about busily, their voices flooding Damian's ears with conversation and speech. The tingle of a bell caused him to glance sideways, as he witnessed a woman look about nervously inside before entering.

Her hair was pulled back into a long braid, the plait perfect despite the stray strands sticking out. It was an unnatural shade of black, that shimmered from the vibrant lights up on the roof and sunlight poking through the windows. Around her neck were two necklaces, and on her ears, studs clipped on.

Right when he believed they looked familiar, his mind seemed to become a blank slate, forcing his suspicions to muddle themselves up. Breaking out of his haze, he faintly realised the woman had gone, provoking him to stare forward with a blush on his cheeks.

However, Damian soon found them heating up for the second time, as he caught the female out of the corner of his eye making her way over. He skillfully took another sip of the coffee, pointedly ignoring her until she spoke.

"Excuse me, Monsieur?" a polite French-accented voice asked.

He looked in her direction in acknowledgement.

"May I sit here, please? It seems there are no other seats available."

Sure enough, most tables were filled to the brim with other customers, all chatting away loudly whilst pausing every so often to take a gulp of their beverage. His corner was the only place that consisted of quiet.

Clearing his throat, he answered, "Yes, you may," curtly.

She wasn't deterred - rather, a smile spread across her freckled cheeks as she sat contentedly, pulling out her phone from her blazer pocket. The cover was a bright cherry, with onyx spots spread across in a pattern.

_A ladybird pattern?_

Once again, the thoughts in his mind scrambled, as his brows furrowed in concentration while he glanced to the side.

Though Marinette did not catch his expression, she felt the aura coiled around his soul tightly, a sickly green with splodges of black throughout. The destruction within him almost caused bile to force its way up her throat, yet she was able to keep it in.

_He'll need a lot of Creation magic to heal._

The two young adults were unknowingly occupying each other's attention for a few more minutes, both blissfully unaware. Unfortunately, they both jumped slightly when a male called out, "Marinette? Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

Damian froze, just before the woman at his table said, "Oh, that would be mine! Thank you for letting me wait here, Monsieur!"

With that, she moved away, her parting words resonating in his head. All of a sudden, he got up, discreetly following her from behind. Fumbling for his pocket, he took out a small device, with a red dot beeping at the top of it.

Just before he managed to place it on her dark grey jacket, the smashing of a window and a certain man's vocals snapped him immediately into a straight posture.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't the Wayne brat along with some perfect hostages! Are you all ready to face your worst fears? Because I have a serum that will prove the answer!"


	7. Seven

Keeping his hand extremely steady, Damian reached out to the woman's blazer, with a tracking device in his grip. The dot on it beeped in a regular pattern, whilst his fingers brushed against the rough fabric of her clothing.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't the Wayne brat along with some perfect hostages! Are you all ready to face your worst fears? Because I have a serum that will prove the answer!" an all to familiar voice boomed.

Damian's back snapped into posture. He clenched his fists in restrained anger.

The female in front of him faced the entrance of the café, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight of Scarecrow. The villian had a loose woolen sack wrapped around his head, that was tied at the lower part of his neck. Where his mouth was, a hole for it was stitched in, resembling a sharp-toothed maw.

Scarecrow moved forward in a fluid movement, with masked men flanking his sides. They stormed up to the people around, pointing their guns to forcefully coax them into one corner of the room. It was the furthest from the exit.

Unknown to anyone but Damian, Marinette ducked beneath a nearby table. The vacated chairs surrounding it provided a good enough cover for her petite form.

Snatching a glance at her purse, she nodded to the three kwami poking their heads from it, soon after feeling a slight tingle on her foot as Daizzi zipped into her designated anklet. Tikki floated in front of her holder's head, her bright blue eyes full of concern and worry.

"Don't worry, Tikki," she eased, keeping her voice hush. "We'll use the Fox miraculous to get out of here safely, okay?"

Though the kwami seemed skeptical, she sighed, calling out, "Longg?"

A muted flash of pink later and a dragon-like creature appeared. "I'll get the necklace, Guardian," he declared, voice stony and determined. "Trixx will be of great help in this situation."

Humming, Marinette reached for a slice of packaged cheddar in one of her pockets, as she spotted Longg zoom away as a harmless lightning bolt in the corner of her vision. Holding the food out, she watched as Mullo began to nibble on the surface humbly, with her rounded ears flapping up in delight at the taste.

"You ready, Mullo?"

**~*~*~**

A cold object was pushed against Damian's temple harshly, with the trigger of it being teased by one of Scarecrow's goons. Muscled arms pushed him near to where the hostages were, holding him in place as he scrutinized his surroundings with a narrowed gaze.

The entrance of the café was straight ahead, though was currently guarded my several armed men. They strolled from side-to-side constantly, observing the outside in a practised manner. All of a sudden, a streak of yellow zoomed past their heads, passing by unknowingly for everyone - excluding Damian.

"If Bruce Wayne does not come here in the next five minutes, I promise that his son will become my newest test subject!" Scarecrow bellowed, pulling out a syringe from his pocket. It was filled with a frothy substance, that was an unnatural shade of lime.

Tapping the item, he sloshed the liquid within. "You see, this syrum here is one of my own creation, that I have been working on for the past month."

Sauntering to Damian, he roughly pulled him by the elbow to his chest, holding the syringe threateningly to his throat. "And I can guarantee that injecting him will not end well!"

Grumbling inaudibly, the younger man could not help but focus his attention on a table in another corner of the building, that had chairs settled around it. He could see a smidge of dark navy shift from behind the stools, however, as he blinked, the person seemingly disappeared.

From behind his back, Damian could hear the rambling of Scarecrow, consisting of shouts and threats of violence, right next to his ear. The sewed sack that the villain adorned slightly muffled his words.

There was a slight buzz in his pocket, alerting him of a new message to his phone. The fact that he had been texted during his current situation made it easy for him to deduce who the sender was.

_Took them long enough._

Not even fazed, Damian stayed in the same position as a mist swallowed the sides of the room, beginning to shadow everyone's vision in a solid white. The men around quickly ran about, following their leader's orders to figure out the source of the smoke.

The Wayne felt a grin take over his expression. He pushed away the limb restraining him and landed a strong kick to Scarecrow's chest, that sent him back onto the ground heavily. Just as he attempted to get up, a blow to his head forced him to fall unconscious, right at the feet of Damian.

The phone in his pocket vibrated again, prompting him to take it out and switch the screen on. A notification showed on it.

 **Dick:** We're on our way now. We had to get past Jay's anger and convince him to come before we could ourselves.

Furrowing his brow, Damian glanced up from his device, watching as the white around began to fade away. It allowed him to see that the furniture around was upturned and pushed about...

...and that at the other end of the room, a woman was fighting. Dodging and weaving the punches aimed at her figure. Grey flashed from her suit. The tail usually at her waist was in her gloved hands.

She wrapped it around the legs of her attackers, spinning around to cause them to tumble onto the floor. The skipping rope whipped many in their heads, knocking them out cold as fast as a punch would.

Soon enough, the assault on the Scarecrow's men ended, as they had worn themselves out thin, leaving them at the hands of Multimouse. She settled the rope resembling a tail back around her body again - completing the infamous theme she had.

Before Damian could stop himself, he blurted out in confusion, "What happened with your costume?"

Letting out a squeek of surprise, Marinette made eye contact with him. At the lost look she gave, he elaborated, "Why is it _orange_?"

"O-Oh, that! You see-"

She cut herself off, jaw slack as she stared behind him.

Following her line of sight, he suddenly realised why she had stopped talking.

At the door to the café, a few vigilantes were positioned, taking in the defeated enemies around. Batman, Red Robin, Nightwing and Red Hood.


	8. Eight

There was no noise. Only complete silence, where the vigilantes all regarded each other with cautious looks. Marinette's bluebell eyes shimmered, as she stared at Red Hood's frozen form at the opposite side of the café.

Batman squinted beneath his cowl, studying Multifox's costume intently. He noted how it now had orange accents, rather than the bright pink that his sons had informed him of her having instead.

Nightwing took a step forward, however, the action prompted Marinette to instinctually move backwards a small length in return. She scanned around for an exit, her head tilting all ways to aid her search.

Seeing this, Jason called out, "Wait! Mous-"

"Multifox," she interrupted, and at their puzzled faces elaborated with, "It's Multimouse in the original suit."

"Right," Red Hood acknowledged.

More silence thickened the air, until the faint sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. Everyone faced the windows, where police cars were driving towards the pavement in front of the café.

Multifox turned to the exit of the building, though she all of a sudden noticed that the heroes were all bunched together and blocking it with their bodies.

"I need to head off."

The Dark Knight walked a few feet to her. "I'm afraid we can't let you do that," he spoke.

Red Robin snuck a glance at Jason, who he observed to have clenched fists and a tight grip on one of the guns at his utility belt.

"We need you to return the Cat Emerald before you can go."

Marinette's eyes gained a level of hardness, as her voice became resolute. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Batman."

"Multifox, please," Red Hood pled, "Just give it back, and then we can go and talk."

The woman visibly faltered, looking helplessly between them all, before opening her mouth to speak.

"Batman."

At the entrance, a man was situated. He had rectangular spectacles on the bridge of his nose, with a greying moustache and head of hair. With one look at those around, he called out, "Damian, let's go."

The youngest Wayne got a nod from Dick, prompting him to follow the commissioner out. Though as Gordon exited, his eyes flickered between all the vigilantes, before he said, "I'll clear the area out."

Batman nodded, turning back to Multifox.

"If you give it back, I promise there will be no trouble," Nightwing placated.

Marinette shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. "You don't understand. I _need_ it."

"Multifox," Jason breathed.

"If you're in need of money I'm sur-"

"No. That's not it, and I'm afraid the gem will have to stay with me."

Jason pleaded another time. "Please, Multifox. You don't wanna do this."

"I know..."

Marinette changed her posture into an offensive position.

"...but I'm gonna have to."

Dick and Tim glanced to Red Hood, giving him apologetic gazes. Then, they sent each other affirmative nods in sync. Red Robin pulled out his staff, whilst Nightwing attached two escrima sticks to both arms.

To everyone's surprise, Multifox reached to her back, gripping a flute and bringing it into sight. The duo and her edged forwards, before charging at vigorous speeds to attack.

It was flurry of blurs, the fight. Occasional grunts could be heard, along with the clanging of weapons and harsh punches sent.

Jason caught sight of Batman stood to the side, watching the battle from afar. He asked, "Are you not going to fight her?"

"No," Bruce responded, "But I might have to if she carries on doing so."

Red Hood snatched another look at Multifox, seeing her holding the skipping rope usually at her waist in her hands. She whipped it about, hitting the duo repetitively with the coloured handles.

"There has to be another way to get to her," he muttered beneath his breath.

"I might have an idea," Batman informed, making eye contact with Jason even though his eyes were covered by a helmet. "We'll have to knock her out."

The man felt a burn in his chest at the suggestion, as he shouted, "What!? We will not-"

"We don't have another choice if she's going to keep fighting us," Bruce explained, "If we take her back to the Cave calmly, then you can talk to her."

Red Hood contemplated, and he knew that his adoptive father could tell even if a helmet was blocking his face's view.

The smashing of glass broke him out of his thoughts, making him glance to the source. Jason saw Tim positioned without a staff in his grip, and a slight smile on Marinette's face.

However, it was wiped off when Nightwing began to send punches and kicks her way, with one landing on her chest. She was thrown back, causing a pain to spread through her spine and a groan to escape her mouth. Multifox grimaced, standing again quickly.

She twirled the flute in her grasp, bringing it up to her lips. A melodic tune escaped the instrument, seeming to echo miles around. Orange light swirled at the tip of the weapon and in a circle around her feet, before she yelled loudly, "Mirage!"

Aiming the flute up, a sphere of white shot out, soon followed by a flash of the same colour blocking everyone's views. When it died down, more than a dozen of the same woman were planted around. Scowls were on their faces.

"Holy crap," Dick mumbled. "She's an actual magical girl."

None of the females were amused. They sprinted to the duo with flutes held out. Tim cursed, going to elbow one behind. Though when he did, he found that the Multifox flickered slightly, resembling a glitching image.

"Huh?" he pondered aloud, taking his limb away. The flickering stopped, revealing the Multifox without any visible problems again.

"They're illusions," Red Hood realised, reaching frantically to place a hand at his helmet's lenses. He changed the settings, switching on the thermal option. Immediately, everything in sight turned a dark blue, before splodges of red to green showed everywhere.

One heat signature resembled Batman, another Nightwing, and lastly, Red Robin. The illusions, as expected, seemed invisible to the lenses.

Jason scanned around, turning his head from left to right in search. That was when he heard a shuffle above, and so he snapped his neck in the direction.

There, perched on the rafters, was a female with the same shape as Multifox - tail hanging at the waist, space buns, flute in hand, everything screamed her theme.

Marinette squeaked at a loud volume, her skipping rope flying high in surprise, when she noticed Red Hood gazing straight up at her. Her figure turned away, leaping across the pipes at the roof of the café.

Jason shot out his grappling hook. His gloved hand caught onto her tail, pulling back gently enough to not cause harm, yet firmly enough to bring her in the opposite direction.

Squealing, Multifox fell onto the ground, right through a battling illusion. Nightwing and Red Robin turned to her confusedly, making the woman focus and narrow her eyes on the mirage around.

A white mist covered her form, preventing the two from seeing her. They both swore, going back to getting rid of the multiple copies of her.

Marinette sighed in relief. From behind, Red Hood called, "Please, Nettie. This doesn't have to happen."

Shaking her head, her tightly closed lips wobbled. "I already told you, I can't give back the Emerald."

"You think I care about that?" he scoffed incredulously. "I couldn't care less, trust me. I just...don't want to fight, Nettie."

Said person exhaled slowly, a split-second decision forming in their mind.

_I'm going to regret doing this._

"Me neither, Jay-Jay. But sometimes, certain things have to be done."

**~*~*~**

Batman ran forwards, plunging himself into the smoke to the side of his two other sons. Nothing could be seen around, causing him to narrow his eyes.

"Mullo, Trixx, divide!"

"Nightwing, Red Robin," he shouted. "Over here. We need to find Red Hood."

Dick nodded, sending another hit to the illusion in front of him. Suddenly, it disintegrated into thin air, along with the other girls, leaving nothing behind. He raised a brow, but didn't question the spectacle.

"Multitude!"

After a few seconds, a familiar grunt was heard in the background. The sound of something heavy falling onto the floor followed.

They searched about for where their brother was.

That was when the men noticed that the mist had been slowly thinning out, soon leaving nothing but silence behind.

"Red Hood?" Nightwing shouted.

There was no reply.

"Nightwing," Batman spoke with his gravelly voice. The Dark Knight pointed up, making his sons glance there.

To see a wide open skylight.


	9. Nine

Marinette grunted.

She carefully placed down Jason on the elongated couch. Two other versions of herself helped with the task, as they settled the man's legs and arms along the surface of the furniture.

After finishing, the three Multimice sent each other nods, before they stepped into each other's space. Immediately, their bodies began to meld with one another - in a light flash - until a taller woman was left.

"Mullo, Quiet Down," the heroine said.

Swirls of baby pink enveloped her from the chest down, but soon spread to her whole form. The clasp of the purse wrapped around her shoulder opened up on its own, and a kwami flew out.

"Marinette, you're okay!" Tikki exclaimed, zipping to said girl's cheek.

Longg, Trixx and Mullo watched from the side, as they hovered in the air.

"Yeah, I am!" she enthused, whilst hugging the bug to her skin. "Thank you so much, guys. I don't know what I would've done without you."

Several of the creatures cuddled into her, and two more joined in when they fizzled into existence from jewellery she adorned.

Marinette giggled happily, though the sound abruptly paused when her gaze caught on the unconscious male to the side. She narrowed her eyes when she sensed something in particular.

_Oh no...not you too, Jay-Jay..._

Taking hesitant steps, the young woman silently made her way to Jason with pursed lips. Her hand shakily reached up to push away the streaked strands of hair from his forehead.

She could feel the sickening aura dormant around him, that was exactly the same as the one that had previously been at her studio. The vigilante's soul was trapped within an encasing of a leeching energy.

"Tikki..." Marinette called in a mutter. "What kind of magic is this?"

Tone sombre, the kwami responded, "It's from the Lazarus Pits - something me and Plagg created millennia ago - that brings a person in contact with it back to life. It came with a dangerous side-effect, though."

"W-What would that be?"

"The person gains excessive anger and periods of blood-lust and violence. That was a factor as to why we removed the Pits from existence," the explanation was. "I guess we must have missed one out."

"Yeah," Plagg agreed, suddenly in the same room.

Marinette faintly realised that the other kwami must have informed him of what was happening.

"I'm so sorry," Tikki apologised, "I never expected that your own sibling would have used the Lazarus Pits. If me and Plagg had checked better, we could have prevented it."

Letting out a deep sigh, the designer held her palms out together. The two gods settled on them.

"I don't blame you, neither of you," she admitted, voice filled to the brim with truth. "So don't worry. And- the thing is..."

Her head turned to Jason nearby.

"He must have died if he used the Pits. That means that I wouldn't have been able to see him again."

A smile spread across Marinette's lips, as she brought the beings close and nuzzled them affectionately. They did the same in accordance, as well as more than a dozen other kwami that had already exited the Miracle Box.

"So," Trixx chuckled, breaking the Guardian's attention away from the miniature cuddle fest. "You wanna help your brother out?"

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"As the Guardian, and a Creation vessel, you can even out the destruction latched onto him!" Tikki revealed, spinning and twirling in the air excitedly.

"Wait, what?"

"You were able to sense my Bad Luck in his soul, right?" Plagg rhetorically asked. "You can use your Good Luck to balance out the Lazarus within him."

"She's smart, Stinky Sock - there's no need to simplify the concept," the ladybug kwami remarked, paws folded.

"Of course I know that, Sugar Cube!" the cat retorted. "My Kit is the best Guardian in my opinion!"

"Aaaaww," Marinette laughed.

"My Monarch," Pollen said softly. "His soul - it's calling out for you."

The woman let out a soft gasp, walking to his limp form. "W-What? Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Plagg quizzed, whizzing atop Jason's head of onyx hair. "You're soulmates, Bug. Platonic, specifically, and the true holders of the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculous."

**~*~*~**

"We have to get him back," Nightwing quietly decided, though his voice echoed in the Bat Cave. He peeled off the mask stuck to his face.

"I agree, but we have to be careful. We don't know what Multimouse - or Multifox - is capable of."

"Well, we have to find out where she took him first," Dick mused, walking up to the computer at the side of the area.

There, Red Robin was already situated, typing at the keyboard. He didn't seem bothered by the recent events, rather, he sat with relaxed shoulders and a casual expression.

"Come on, Tim. At least act worried for Jaybird," Nightwing teased, hitting his brother's shoulder lightly.

"'Worried'?" the CEO snorted. "As if I am."

"Wow, okay."

Sighing, Tim turned to Dick. He spoke, "He's in the hands of his own sister, you realise that, right? Just 'cause she stole something from a Museum, it doesn't make her a bad person."

There was a small period of silence, which was broken by the eldest.

"...You know something, don't you?"

Red Robin simply smirked.

**~*~*~**

Marinette's eyes were closed tightly, and her brows were furrowed in concentration. She could feel the presence of a multitude of kwami surrounding her, as they watched the scene intently.

The destructive magic within Jason's soul threatened to escape, and it twitched at regular intervals. However, the woman didn't falter.

The hand pressed against her brother's chest tightened, and suddenly changed into the shape of a claw. Her fingers dug into his suit, as a faint tickle was felt on her palm.

Marinette let out a sigh of relief. An ominous red glow made its way into Red Hood's body, whilst a sickly green escaped his and entered her limb.

At the same time, Plagg was sat on her arm, holding a paw out. The lime flowed out of her appendage, almost fluently, and was immediately attracted to the cat's chaos and power.

After what seemed to be at least five minutes, the vibrant colours in the room started to dull, until they became practically nonexistent.

When the young one opened her eyes, she found that a mixture of the shades were swirling at the centre of her palms. Magic pulsated within her arm, reaching so far as to the top of her shoulder blade.

Quiet rung all around.

"What the heck..." a familiar voice groaned, their breathing picking up as they sat.

"J-Jay-Jay?"

The man's eyes snapped open.

He took in the female mere centimetres from him.

"Nettie?"


	10. Ten

"Nettie?" Jason marvelled, regarding the woman in front of him.

Now that there was no mask hiding her identity, he could make out the bags beneath her eyes, and freckles dotted over her cheeks.

"Jay..." Marinette breathed in relief, just before throwing herself at him. He hugged her tightly, and rubbed at her back in soothing motions.

"I, I thought you were dead," she spoke on the border of a sob.

Jason cradled her closer, and cooed softly. He could feel the years of distance forcing tears to threaten their escape from him, yet he held them back.

"It's okay," he murmured. "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere."

He idly played with the end of the braid keeping her locks tidy, noting how the length was longer by a dozen inches since the last time he'd held her close - much too long ago.

"I'm so happy that you're here," Marinette confessed quietly from his chest, sniffling with a voice now sore. "That you're alive."

"...Me too, Pixie," he agreed, wiping the water sticking to her cheeks. His fingers then pushed back a strand of hair behind her ear. In them both, onyx studs sat.

They sat there for a few more minutes, breathing heavily and staying close. The jewellery Marinette wore jingled with every movement she made.

Jason moved back and raised a brow at the miraculous. "Three necklaces?"

"O-Oh, those. They, they're, umm...well, it's best to just show you," she stuttered. "Tikki? Guys?"

At the call, several blurs suddenly made themselves visible, as they floated in the air beside the couch. Tikki, Plagg, Trixx, Longg, Mullo - all of them. Even Nooroo and Duusu were there.

Jason jumped slightly at their presence, but soon relaxed when they didn't make any moves. That was when he held a hand to his head, and blinked confusedly.

"Nettie, why am I so calm?" he muttered. "I swear, I'd usually be pulling out my guns or some other crap, but I'm not."

Marinette fiddled with her fingers, and responded, "That, that has something to do with these."

She poined to her earrings, and inhaled deeply.

"These, these are the Ladybug miraculous, an object that allows their user to harness the power of Good Luck and Creation granted by the god Tikki," she explained. "And, you see...her and the god of Destruction created the Lazarus Pits."

Jason's head snapped up.

"They tried to destroy all of them when they realised the side-effects and consequences it caused when used, but they weren't able to. I'm guessing that's how you came back to life."

There was silence as he took in the knowledge.

"...Sooo, these gods here told you that I came back to life?" he asked. "And were technically the ones responsible for that?"

"Yes."

The man turned to them, and awkwardly said, "Uhhh, thanks. For making the Pits, I guess."

Then, he faced his sister again. "That still doesn't explain why I'm not angry like usual, though. The Lazarus Pits made that almost my default emotion."

Marinette opened her mouth to answer, when a blob of red zipped into Jason's sight. Two thin antennae flopped at the sides of it's face, and a large black spot was present at the top of their head.

"Marinette is a True Holder and vessel for Creation magic, which is provided by me," the squeeky-voiced kwami said. "She was able to balance out the Destructive magic within you with her powers!"

He stayed quiet for a moment, and processed it all. "...Huh."

Jason tilted his head in the younger person's direction. "So you're basically a magical girl?"

Marinette blushed pink. "N-No! I'm, uh, a...hero...? N-Not a magical girl!"

"Right," he teased with a grin, as he sat up on the sofa. "By the way, can I ask a question?"

The female flopped onto the furniture next to him, leaning her head on his arm as she clutched it. "You already did."

He ignored the joke, and took her response as affirmative in manner. "Why do you need to have the Cat Emerald so much?"

Marinette gazed up at him, then huffed and looked to the side. She got up, and walked off out of view. Thin fingers pulled out a hexagonal box from a nearby cupboard, then closed the door to it.

When she returned, she situated herself beside him again, then opened up the box. A bright aqua light from the contents prompted him to cover his eyes.

Her voice made him open them again.

"Jay-Jay, meet the kwami of the White Panther miraculous," she revealed, gesturing to the being that had materialised in the air.

Black splodges were spread across the ivory god in no visible pattern. The cat had whiskers at its cheeks, and claws at its paws. Icy blue eyes stared back at Jason.

"Wait, so the Cat Emerald is one of those miraculous?"

Marinette nodded, placing the jewel on a table nearby. The surface had changed colour, and was now striped black-and-white with an aqua clip at the back - presumably there to attach it to clothing.

"Wow, okay. I did not expect that," he voiced. "Why do you have so many of them?"

"I'm the Guardian," the woman replied. "I have to collect them all to keep the universe safe. Who knows what could happen if any get in the wrong hands."

"Yeah. Creation _and_ Destruction?" he rhetorically questioned, letting out a whistle after. "I'd hate to imagine."

Marinette pursed her lips, and looked to the side. "Me and my partner had to stop a villain in Paris from trying to take the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculous from us," she started.

"Black Cat miraculous?"

"It's the ring that harnesses Bad Luck and Destruction."

"Oh, right."

She let in a shaky breath. "Hawk Moth - the villain - and his helper Mayura made the people of Paris feel numb to emotions. They had the power to take advantage of negative ones and create or turn people into monsters. They also had a civillian sidekick who purposely made people upset."

Jason placed a hand on her shoulder, and she suddenly twisted to hug him.

"The, the civillian targetted me specifically. She turned most people against me, including those who I thought were my friends."

"I saw news clips from a while ago where they were arrested for what they did to you," her brother admitted quietly.

"You did?" Marinette's muffled voice said from his chest.

"Yeah. Me and Red Robin researched you just after when you took the Cat Emerald...I'm sorry."

She was silent for a moment. "No, it's okay. I...I guess that means you know everything?"

Jason's eyes softened. "Yeah. Your classmates, the arrests." He gulped. "Your parents."

He felt her burrow into him even more, and the tremors shaking her form. It took all of his willpower not to think about her pain, and instead hold her close whilst she cried.

"O-Out of all people-" she cried, "-I never thought they'd think of me as a b-bully. A monster."

Marinette's voice began to trail off, changing into wails of suffering, until all Jason could do was murmur words of comfort and stroke her hair.

However, the way he squeezed her close didn't amount to the tightness in his heart. He didn't think anything else ever had, or ever could, in the first place.

**~*~*~**

"C'mon, Tim. Pleeeeeeeaassse?"

"No, Dick," he denied, not taking his eyes off of the screen in front of him. "I don't want to be killed by him."

"Jaybird wouldn't kill you!"

Tim sent his brother a deadpan look.

"Okay, so he would, but I promise not to tell," the eldest compromised. "Just tell me who his sister is, or at least where she took him."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because not only is it dangerous for my sake, but it's not my secret to tell. His sister, she...she hasn't exactly had the best time from where she's come from."

Dick became silent at that.

"Is she...?"

"An orphan? No," he sighed. "But she's close to one. The research I did showed what happened between her and her parents before she moved to Gotham."

"Oh."

Dick moved closer to Tim.

"Just, are you sure Jaybird's safe?"

"Yes," the CEO confirmed. "Trust me. She's completely clean apart from being Multimouse, if that makes you feel better, too."

"It does," the man said, exhaling in relief.

They were both quiet once more, until Dick spoke.

"Hey...you said you'd hired MDC to make your suit for the Gala coming up?"

"Yep. She's currently making the commission now," he said. "And before you start, I'll ask for autographs."

"Yes!" Dick enthused, punching a fist up.


	11. Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a crack chapter, not gonna lie.

"Are you sure we shouldn't do anything?"

Tim sighed, easily sliding on his boots and turning to the person who had spoken.

"Yes," he answered. "Besides, I know who she is and where she lives, so if anything bad happens we know where to find them."

Dick visibly relaxed at the reply, as he let out an exhale of relief. Then, he strolled over to Bruce whilst twirling around an escrima stick in his grasp.

"So, is she actually Jaybird's sister?" the oldest asked in a hushed tone, sneaking glances to Tim nearby in the Bat Cave.

The CEO simply rolled his eyes, secretly listening in to the conversation.

"No. More along the lines of an honorary sibling."

"Wait, how did you figure that out?"

Batman made his way over to an onyx vehicle off to the side, providing a moment of suspense for Nightwing.

"Those framed pictures that Jason has in his bedroom and office were of a big help."

Dick's brows furrowed, as he stopped and gazed to the right in thought. Memories of a girl with pigtails and a toothy smile flashed through his mind.

" _She's_ Multimouse?"

Bruce nodded stiffly.

"...No wonder Jay was so angry when Damian talked bad about her. He's always defensive when we mention those pictures, so it makes sense," the hero inferred. "She must be someone special to be that close to him."

He shook his head, soon beginning to walk in the same direction that his adoptive father had. That was when there was a familar noise from across the Cave.

Dick whipped around, jogging over to where his phone was. He tilted his head to the side to see Tim staring at it with a worried expression.

Nightwing himself mirrored it when he realised who the person calling was.

**~*~*~**

"Jay-Jay?"

Red Hood turned to the quiet voice from behind, to be met with the sight of Marinette leaning on the door to the living room while rubbing her eyes.

Her locks were now out, flowing and the length of her whole back. Two kwami were curled up on the hair settled on both her shoulders - one was purring, almost like the revving engine of a miniature motorcycle.

"Yeah, Nettie?"

"Why do you have your helmet on?"

Jason, as if just remembering that he did, suddenly removed it and placed it on a nearby table. "Was making sure the Bats didn't track me or anything."

The woman nodded. She tiredly sauntered to the couch in the room, and lay down on its surface.

"How did I end up in bed?"

"You cried yourself to sleep," Jason revealed gently, coming closer to kneel beside her. "You need some rest, Nettie."

"I don't-"

"Marinette."

Said female flinched at the use of her full name, and looked away.

"I, I can't! I have a huge commission I need to work on and-"

"Ah, ah, ah. Don't wanna hear it," her brother hushed, as he grabbed a blanket draped over the back of the sofa. Jason then proceeded to place it over her curled up form.

"You can complete it later, okay?"

Marinette pouted, burying into the material wrapped around her. "No," she petulantly refused.

Red Hood sighed. "Please? I'll let you have as much coffee as you want for a week if you take a nap."

The baker thought for a moment, before huffing with folded arms. "Okay...but I expect you to keep that promise, Jay-Jay."

He smiled. "I will. And the one I made all those years back, too. Don't think I forgot that, either."

Marinette snapped her head up to him.

"You, you remember it?"

Jason came forward, planting a kiss to her forehead. "Of course I do, Nettie, and I intend to keep it."

There was a moment of silence.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He nodded, and adjusted the blanket to cover all of her body. Then, he informed, "I need to go and let the Bats know I'm safe, okay? I'll come here straight after."

"Okay."

She scooped up the kwami that were dozing atop her head, and shifted on the couch into a more comfortable position. The gods were placed on her shoulder blade, where warmth seeped out from.

"Have a good sleep."

With that bid, Red Hood faced away, soon striding away to the kitchen and out of earshot. However, on his way, he spotted a computer to the side, with paper taped to the edges of the screen.

He quickly scanned over them out of curiosity, when all of a sudden, he did a double-take. A certain commission in particular made him snatch his helmet and phone at a surprisingly fast speed.

**~*~*~**

"Jaybird! Are you-"

"Dick, where the heck is the Replacement?"

"Hey, don't call him that," he lightly scolded. "Tim's right here."

"Put him on the phone."

Nightwing raised a brow, questioning, "Can't you ring him?"

Jason groaned. "He blocked me after that prank last month."

"What prank?"

"Just- put him on the phone, Dick."

"Oookay..."

There was the sound of a slight scuffle for a few seconds, until a male was heard to greet, "Hello?"

"Timbers, what the heck!"

Red Robin sighed, taking a sip from his coffee mug. "Before you kill me, I didn't tell anyone anything about your sister."

"What? No, that's not what I'm on about, but you _better_ not have."

"I didn't."

"Okay, so anyway, why the hell would you choose my sister?" Jason asked. "Do you know how tired she is? What she needs is some rest, not 'Monsieur Drake' commissioning her for some damn suit."

Tim squinted, glancing away from the Bat Computer screen.

"...What?"

"You know what I'm talking about! Why Nettie out of all people to make that suit for the Wayne Gala?"

The man dropped his cup, causing it to smash on the floor beneath him as coffee soaked into his lap.

"Tim!" Dick shouted in the background. Fast footsteps followed. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Jason...Jason's sister..." he panted, eyes wide.

From the phone, Red Hood quizzed, "Spit it out, Replacement - I want an answer!"

"Tim, what about her?"

"SHE'S MDC!"

Nightwing almost stumbled back, jaw dropping.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng! MDC!" Red Robin exclaimed. "They're the same!"

Dick unfroze after half a minute, taking a moment to compose himself.

"We're coming over right now, Jason."

"Heck yes, we are!"

"Wait, nO-"

The call cut off.


	12. Twelve

Two pairs of feet landed on a moonlit rooftop in Gotham, providing the only noise for miles around. The stars above lit up the present men's costumes, as they scanned about with eyes lined in masks.

Nightwing tapped Red Robin on the shoulder, catching his attention, before pointing down to one side of the building. When peeking there, he was met with the sight of a balcony and glass doors leading inside.

They scaled down the bricks. Their boots - lined in a comfortable material - allowed decent grip to the walls, that were shadowed in black.

"Do you wanna go first, or should I?"

Tim sent his brother a blank look, answering, "You should go first. He's angry at _me,_ for starters, and I don't feel like getting attacked as soon as I enter."

Dick sighed. He slowly lifted up a hand to the door handle, and gripped it tight. Then, he pushed it down, and was surprised when that caused the entrance to swing open.

With hushed curses, the duo rushed to get in and close the exit behind them. That left a slight chill in the place they were in, as a breeze from outside had blown in just seconds ago.

Nightwing tilted his head. He glanced around the - what appeared to be - bedroom they were situated in.

There was white wallpaper with pink accents all around. A narrow mirror attached to a wardrobe on the left. A bed sporting a spotted duvet sat beside a dresser, that had a picture frame on it.

He furrowed a brow at the seemingly familiar photo, and took quiet steps forward. After grasping it, his eyes softened. Not only at the image, but at the unmistakable drops of tears still lingering on the surface of the item.

Dick placed the frame back down, just in time to hear Red Robin enthuse in a whisper, "Oh my gosh, these are amazing! And she has my name on her wall, aaaah!"

The male snorted at the clear fan-girling, and strolled to where Tim was. Sure enough, pinned to a corkboard were drafts and rough sketches of several suits, with neat notes in French at the side.

"Is this what you commissioned?"

The CEO jumped, and whipped around to see an amused Richard. He cleared his throat, and gazed to the side while blushing in embarrassment. "Yes, for the Gala coming up soon."

"Now I'm kinda jealous," he teased. "Oh well, at least I can ask her for an autograph and meet her in person. That'll be cool."

"Yeah, I-"

Red Robin was cut off by the door nearby slamming open, and a person coming towards them. "What the hell is up with you guys?" they quizzed.

"What? We told you we were coming, Jaybird."

"And I told you that Nettie needed sleep," Jason remarked, folding his arms. "So you're not going to talk to her tonight, I'm afraid."

Though his words were apologetic, his tone certainly wasn't. Rather, it was sarcastic in manner.

"Aaaaw," Dick said. After a moment, he asked, "Can we, can we talk to you? About how she..."

Red Hood sighed. "Ended up in Gotham? Yeah...Follow me."

The two did so, and were led to a kitchen consisting of a tiled floor and marbled counters. They sat down at one of them, and watched as Jason placed a hand to his head and gazed to a corridor at the side.

"Is she down there?"

"Yep. She's in the living room."

He faced his brothers again and started, "Timbers already knows why she came here, but I'll explain for you. Nettie, she...she used to be a hero in Paris. After the villain she fought was defeated, her identity was revealed to a few people, so she moved here to get away from it all."

Nightwing was silent for a moment, before speaking up. "That's not all, is it?"

"No," the vigilante revealed with a shake of the head. "There was a liar back where she came from who turned most of her close ones against her, and when they found out who she was, well, they obviously realised the truth. Thing is, what they did when they thought the wrong things about Nettie were..."

Red Hood exhaled again, then carried on with clear anger in his voice. "Her parents, they... _they_ were the worst. Her kwami told me all the things they said to her when they were under the thumb of that liar - it was horrible. I don't blame her for moving to a whole other continent."

"'Kwami'?"

"That would be us," a smooth voice said from the table.

Dick and Tim snapped their eyes there to see a basket filled to the brim with food, along with dozens of animal-themed creatures. The one that had spoken resembled a blue snake.

Nightwing yelped out loud and jumped back, practically falling out of his stool, whilst Red Robin rubbed his eyes. He squinted when what was in front of him still remained.

"Shut up, Dick! You're going to wake Nettie up!"

"Sorry," the oldest apologised. "But, what the heck? They're so _cute,_ oh my gosh!"

"Thank you!" a blue peacock enthused, floating up to him. She settled herself onto his head, before saying, "Oh wow, you're hair is so soft!"

"...Have you got any coffee?" Tim mumbled. "I think I'm hallucinating again."

Jason groaned. "I'm sure there's some here, I'll get you it. And Dick, shut up or I'll kick you out."

The man glanced up with a pout, nodding, until he smiled when a purple kwami fluttered to land on his outstretched palm nervously.

Red Hood stood, beginning to stride around and scan through many cupboards. Most of what he found were ingredients to baked treats, cheese, and cookies, to his surprise.

Just as he spotted a jar of coffee beans to his right, a confused voice from behind made him whip around to the source and freeze.

"Who- what are you doing here?"

"Nettie," Jason called, going over to her. He adjusted the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and planted a kiss to her temple. "Are you okay? Is there something wrong?"

Marinette flickered her eyes between him and the two heroes gazing as if they were starstruck at her from the side. One had several kwami curled up on his onyx locks, whilst the other only had Longg sat on his shoulder.

"Umm...what are they...?"

"Oh, _them._ They're, uh, only here to check on me, so we should just, umm, go to the living room, how about that?" he rambled, ushering her to said place.

The designer could only raise a brow and waddle over to the leather couch in front. She sat on it, facing the three men there.

Her sibling opened his mouth to speak, yet was interrupted when Tim went forward and exclaimed, "It is such an honour to meet you, Miss MDC! I'm so sorry for coming in unannounced with Nightwing here. I'm Red Robin, and one of your biggest fans!"

Through her tired state, Marinette could only mutter a dazed, "What?"

Red Hood grumbled, and shared a suspicious look with a kwami cuddling Dick's cheek. They nodded to him, understanding what his thoughts consisted of, and whizzed behind Tim.

Then, without warning, the excited man suddenly slumped over, causing Nightwing to grab him and save his fall.

The female there could only stare with a deadpan expression to one of the gods, who was floating in the air with a mischievous look.

"Pollen! Was that really necessary?"

"As your brother said, my Monarch, you deserve some rest."

She moaned, burying her head in her hands, while someone ruffled her hair teasingly from above.

"Umm, is he okay?"

"Yes, he's fine - only paralyzed for the time-being. Just sit him down over there," she advised, motioning to a chair nearby. "Let's talk without any of the fan-boying," the girl grumbled.

"I, for one, could not agree," Jason commented, sitting beside her and allowing her to rest a head against his shoulder.

After placing Red Robin down, the eldest hesitantly asked, "On the topic of fan-boying...could I please, uhh, have your autograph, if that's okay?"


	13. Thirteen

"Wait, so you're saying that you called the Justice League for help?"

Marinette nodded.

"And that they wrote it off as some joke?"

She shook her head again in confirmation, causing Jason to mutter a curse beneath his breath. He clenched his fists in anger, and the only thing that managed to calm him down was the small hand placed on his shoulder.

"Sorry, Nettie, it's just..." he started, before groaning in frustration. "We're heroes. We should have investigated the situation."

"Jay-Jay, don't blame yourself. You didn't have a chance to even _see_ the message in the first place," she scolded lightly. Then, with a grin, she drawled, "Plus, if anyone's to blame it should be Booster Gold."

A dark look began to form over her brother's face, yet he managed to school his expression.

"He's lucky that he's in a different country right now," he mumbled.

The woman next to him chuckled, as her eyes wandered about the room. That was when a frown suddenly settled on her features.

"...We should probably get ready for when they aren't paralyzed anymore, huh?"

Jason turned his head to where she was staring, to be met with the sight of both Red Robin and Nightwing situated in seats across from them. The males were both frozen and slouched back.

"Nah. They're fine like that."

Marinette sighed, standing up from the sofa that she was sat at. Her steps barely echoed in the silent living room as she walked away.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting something," she responded in a voice that became louder each second, until she reappeared in Red Hood's vision again. In her grip was a miniature notepad and pen.

He raised a brow, and watched as she scribbled on two different pages of the book before tearing them off in a quick movement. She then proceeded to place one on each of the frozen men's left hands.

"Autographs, seriously?"

"C'mon, cut me some slack. They deserve them after you two decided to use Venom for no reason."

Pollen - who was snuggled onto Dick's head of hair with a few other kwami - huffed with folded paws. "My Monarch, they deserved it!" her soft voice whisper-yelled quietly. "They disturbed your sleep."

"That still didn't mean that you had to paralyze them!"

"If I may intrude," Duusu spoke up, causing all to glance at her. The feathers that she had fluffed up at the attention. "You haven't had a good night's rest for at least a week."

"No, I did after-"

"Finding out that your brother was alive," Longg carried on coolly, from his perch on Tim's shoulder. "You seemed to have had a distressing amount of bad dreams that night, Guardian."

"I...well..."

Jason gained a soft look. "Nettie..."

"...I-I just...after _years_ of not seeing you and getting over your 'death', you just- reappear? Out of nowhere?" Marinette spoke with watery eyes. "I, I _mourned_ for you, and..."

Red Hood abruptly moved forward, encasing her in strong arms. She stilled for a moment, yet soon broke out of her stupor when the vigilante began to talk.

"I know _exactly_ how you feel, Nettie. I...I had nightmares that night too. Gosh, you should've seen what I looked like that morning. I was practically a zombie."

The girl he was holding close reciprocated the hug after his words, making him sigh in relief. He leaned his head atop hers, then apologised with, "I'm, I'm so freakin' sorry, Nettie."

She remained silent for a few seconds.

"...Me too, Jay-Jay."

He smiled, before planting a kiss to her temple. "Now," he started, "I believe you said that we should prepare for the Replacement and Nightwing over here to unfreeze?"

His sister grinned. "Yep."

Whilst the two began to complete the task - with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine - the kwami laying on Dick's locks began to speak in hushed conversation.

"Tikki, I thought you said that we would have talked to him by now," Ziggy complained.

"Quit with the whining," Stompp said with an annoyed expression. "Can't you see that they just had an emotional moment?"

"Yeah? Well they probably wouldn't have if we'd sorted that Jacob out first."

" _Jason_."

"Whatever, Wayzz. That's not the point."

"Friends..."

"Let's just go to him now. What's stopping us?"

"The fact that he's Plagg's Chosen."

"Friends..."

"So?"

"Plagg would kill us if he found out that we'd threatened him."

"Friends...?"

"As if! Look at him sleeping over there!" Trixx exclaimed, pointing a paw to the couch nearby. "He's practically drowning in his own drool if you ask me."

"Frien-"

"Guys, shut up! Nooroo wants to talk!"

All conversation suddenly halted, as every single kwami turned their attention to the butterfly god. He shifted about nervously, before saying, "Is, is it okay if I say something?"

"Of course!"

"Go for it!"

"Yeah!"

His lips formed into a small smile. "I, I don't think that the Guardian would be happy either if she found out that we'd spoke like that to Jason. I've s-sensed her happiness with him around, and not only is it because they are soulmates, but because they are siblings as well. I assume that they would be f-fiercely protective of each other."

"...You have a point there, Nooroo."

"Remember what happened last time when she was protective? With Kagami?"

The kwami collectively shuddered.

"Remember how Tikki was proud of Marinette that whole time?"

"Issss that true?"

"Yeah, since Marinette stood up for her girlfriend. Well, girlfriend at the time," Barkk amended. "Right, Tikks?"

When there was no answer, everyone faced the ladybug kwami, only to see her whizz up into the air from Nightwing's head and proceed to fly about the living room frantically.

"Tikks, what...?"

"Friends, the Guardian, she's..."

On the other side of the place, Marinette was sprinting about with an alarmed expression marring her features, as she glanced through all of the windows near to her.

"Nettie, what's wrong?" Jason quizzed, following right behind her. "Are you okay?"

"Nope. No, no, no, no, no I am _not_ okay!" she responded, whilst making her way over to the Miracle Box on a shelf nearby. Her hands picked it up delicately, then opened it up with a simple tap.

Dozens of jewellery were revealed. She chose to quickly pick up a comb with stripes all over, and place it in her hair.

"Nettie?"

"Yes?" she called in a distracted way.

"What is it?"

"It's someone else with the Lazarus on them," she informed, turning to face him. "Stay here and look after Plagg, I'll go check it out."

The younger one sauntered to where her bedroom was, while commanding, "Pollen, Buzz On."

"Wait, someone els-"

Red Hood cut himself off when a bright yellow light surrounded her form, prompting him to shut his eyes tight. When he opened them back up, he found himself standing in front of a shut door.

Just as he was about to grab the handle of it, a hand on his shoulder halted his actions. He whipped his head around to see Nightwing giving him a worried look, whilst several kwami sat on his onyx hair.

"Dick, what are you-"

"It's B and Little Wing," he responded, not answering his asked question. "They told us that they were coming on the comms, but I couldn't tell you since I was paralyzed."

"Venom!" a muffled voice shouted from behind the door.

" _Frick_ ," Jason cursed, as he lifted a leg up to kick down the entrance of the bedroom. He rushed in, holding out two pistols at the balcony in front.

However, after a few seconds, they both clattered to the floor.

"...Thaaaat's not good."

" _No crap_ , Timbers! This is, just-"

"I didn't mean to do it!" Marinette squeaked, inching back into the direction of the balcony nearby. "I swear!"

"No, no, no," Red Hood placated, coming forward with his hands held out. "Ssshh, it's okay, Nettie. I know you didn't, just- just come here, okay?"

He stepped over both the unconscious Robin and paralyzed Batman on the carpet, and came close. Then, his arms opened up as an invitation, causing his sister - now in black and yellow stripes - to come rushing into him.

Strong arms hugged her tight, as the owner of them sent a knowing look to Tim and Dick. It took them a moment to gather their bearings, yet after doing so, they nodded in understanding.

"I'm so sorry."

"Nettie, no, it's not your fault," Jason hushed, petting her head in a comforting manner. "Let's go back to the couch, okay? Don't worry."

She hesitantly shook her head to agree.


	14. Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick Note: The ship for this story will eventually be Marinette x Damian x Kagami.

"Tikki, are you sure about this?"

"Of course!" the kwami enthused, whizzing around in a circle before settling herself on her owner's shoulder. "I can sense multiple True Holders in your brother's family!"

"Wait, what?" Marinette asked, wide-eyed from confusion.

"Well, we both know that Jason is perfect for the Black Cat, but Red Robin also seems to be a great candidate for the Dragon."

"D-Dragon? But, but I can't give that to him. I thought that...well, Kagami was the True Holder, right?"

"There is the possibility of more than one in the same lifetime, Marinette, so don't worry!" Tikki assured. "Oh, and you don't have to give him the Dragon miraculous if you don't want to. I know that that would be a hard decision after what happened with Kagami."

The heroine glanced to the side, hurt flashing in her eyes. "Y-Yeah, it would be."

"My Queen," a voice whispered from the side, causing the two to turn to its source. There, Pollen was floating, glancing nervously to the door nearby. "They're ready to see you."

She bit her lip, tuning in to hear if anything was being said in the living room. However, there was only silence.

It took a minute for her to steel her nerves, and when she finally did, a hand reached up to grab the door handle. The door was slowly pushed open, revealing four males sat at couches and the youngest laying across one.

"Hey, Nettie."

Jason stood, walking up to her form. A strong arm wrapped around her shoulder, and led her to a sofa seperate from everyone else. The siblings placed themselves down on it.

"Hello..." she awkwardly greeted. "My name is Marinette and, uh...I'm Multimouse. You probably already knew that though, huh? Oh, I didn't even apologise for paralyzing you! I'm so sorry, Mr Batman!"

Bruce simply blinked, but schooled his expression again from under the cowl.

"Hi, Miss MDC! I'm Red Robin, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, the pleasure's all mine! I should be honoured to have all of you here at my house. By the way, would any of you guys like some snacks?"

Nightwing opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly, several voices chirped from the top of his head, "Yes!"

The woman giggled. "Okay," she agreed. "I'll get everyone something. Would you like to help, Nooroo?"

A purple creature fluttered over from Dick's nest of hair to her outstretched palm. She gave one last hug and smile to Red Hood before strolling off and out of sight.

"Don't look at her like that, B. She's _my_ sister."

"You're my son."

Everyone in the vicinity froze for a moment.

Until Jason let out a huff of air and relaxed his tense muscles. "Fair enough," he muttered beneath his breath.

"...Whoa, whoa, whoa. Did that just happen? Am I hallucinating right now?"

"Probably - judging how you haven't slept for the past few days."

"I don't think that's it, Jaybird. I saw that as well. Are you okay?"

He rose a brow. "Couldn't be happier. Why?"

His older brother frowned. "Usually you'd be a _bit_ angry at B for saying something like that. I'm surprised you're not."

"That is because the Guardian removed the Lazarus within him."

The vigilantes all turned to the spiked kwami perched on Tim's shoulder. He carried on, "The Lazarus affects not only the health, but also the behaviour of anyone who comes into contact with it. As such, the Guardian found it fit to remove all traces of it from her sibling."

"Wait, she can do that? How?"

"With a whole lot of magic and energy," Marinette answered, entering the room once again. In her hands was a tray of cookies and a basket filled with an assortment of different foods.

The miniature gods from Nightwing's tresses zipped to where she placed it on the table, and proceeded to munch with wide grins.

Dick pouted.

" _These_ are kwami," the female started, gesturing to said creatures. "They're gods who power jewellery called the 'miraculous', which give their holders different powers depending on which ones they wear. As Multimouse, I have the Mouse miraculous, that gives me the ability 'Multitude'."

"What's that?"

"She can divide into many small copies of herself," Mullo responded, whilst nibbling on a block of cheese. "It is a very useful asset when trying to get by unseen."

"So _that's_ why I can't see you on any security cameras!"

Marinette chuckled. "Yep. Usually I disable them, but I leave them every so often to mess around with who wants to find out what I stole. Oh, and, umm...speaking of which...will you be arresting me for what I've been doing?"

"Of course not, Nettie," Jason spoke. " _Right,_ B?"

Batman didn't wilt under Red Hood's glare. He simply stayed silent for a moment, until questioning, "Why do you need the Cat Emerald?"

"Oh! It's actually a miraculous. As my duty as Guardian, I have to find any missing ones and look after them."

"What does the Guardian _do,_ exactly?" Nightwing quizzed, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Well, I have to keep balance in the universe, basically. In Gotham, there's so much Destructive energy that needs to be cleansed, so I came here out of all places."

"...Huh."

"A bit confusing, I know."

There was a tap on the designer's cheek, prompting her to face Tikki, who had done the action. "Aren't you going to tell them about their souls?"

"Oh, right! Jay-Jay, you're actually my soulmate."

"...What?" he doubted with a blink.

"Me and you are platonic soulmates. Your soul is destined for Plagg, just like mine is for Tikki. You're a True Holder."

"Plagg?"

" _That_ would be me," something drawled from Jason's shoulder, causing him to jump and let out a mild curse. He was met with the sight of a jet black cat kwami, that's slit emerald eyes shone in amusement.

"I helped make your soul in the first place, long story short. That means that just like me and Tikki-"

"As if, Stinky Sock!"

"-you're soulmates."

"There is also another True Holder in this room," Longg informed, turning his head up to Tim.

"Really? Who?"

A few deadpan looks were sent Red Robin's way.

" _You're_ one of the True Holders of the Dragon miraculous."

"Nettie, wait, there's more than one _just_ for the Dragon?"

Marinette gained a sudden sad expression. "Y-Yeah. The other True Holder is Kagami."

"Kagami?"

"My girlfr- _ex_ from back in Paris. S-She was the hero Ryuko until Hawk Moth found out her identity."

Batman's posture straightened. "Are you implying that there has been a villain in Paris?"

"Jesus, B, who cares about that now? What I want to know is how this Kagami girl hurt Nettie."

"Oh no, no, no, no!" his sister admonished, waving her hands. "You've got it all wrong! I- well, I couldn't be with her anymore. My parents, they....they disapproved."

A dangerous glint formed in Red Hood's eyes. " ** _What_** happened?"

She flinched, fixating her gaze down. "They...forced me to break up with her..."

A growl began to bubble in his throat, and a certain need to scratch at something until it was bloody and beaten came upon him.

However, his reaction was halted when there was a scuffle from off to the side. The adults all turned to where it had come from, only to see Damian holding his head in his hands.

"...Father? What is...?"

His eyes caught on to the bluenette in the room.

"Take a seat, Robin," Bruce said in a placating tone. "We have to discuss a plan to fly over to Paris and _deal_ with a certain pair of parents."

Marinette squeaked.


	15. Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EID MUBARAK!! 💜💜 It's been a great Ramadan, so hopefully now I can work on chapters without a grumbling stomach 😂 Hope you enjoy!

"I assure you that this is not necessary."

"And I'm saying that it is. Now, be quiet before I use Pollen on _you_ instead."

Robin felt a blush form on his cheeks, as Marinette pushed him back to lie on the couch. An ice pack - cold to the touch - was rested against his head, where the pain from her harsh blow had been.

She sat down on a chair next to Damian, and decided to say in the silence, "Your identity was pretty easy to figure out, by the way."

Batman merely turned his head to her. "You knew that Jason Todd was Red Hood," he stated. "Simple deduction would mean that his family were vigilantes as well."

The woman rose a brow. "What? I don't know any of _your_ guys' identities apart from Jason's. I was just saying that it was easy to see that the man I met at the coffee shop before was Robin."

"How did you know that?" said person asked, tone edging at a growl. He sat up, yet was forced down again by the tight grip on his shoulder.

Marinette sighed. "Your soul is drenched with the same Lazarus that the man I met had. It's obvious." Her shoulders lifted in a shrug.

Nightwing stood up from the sofa, making his way over to his youngest brother. With a nod to her, they swapped seats, with Dick pressing the ice to soothe Damian's bruise.

"Can you remove the Lazarus?"

She faced Bruce. "I could, and I will, but it takes a lot of energy to do. It explains why I slept for a while not that long after taking it away from Jay-Jay. Plus, it might be painful for Robin here."

"Painful?" Tim spoke up.

"Yes. I mean, I am removing something wrapped around his soul real tight, so there's a high chance that it will be."

"If Todd was able to handle it, I can."

The female rose a brow. "He was able to handle it because of his Destruction soul. You, on the other hand, aren't cut out for all of that energy inside of you. You're more of a Butterfly kinda guy from what I can tell."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he snarled.

Jason straightened from where he was sat - an instinct to protect his sister overtaking his senses. However, the way she leant into his side in a hug stopped him.

"I'm sure your family can explain everything later. Long story short, magical jewellery give me my powers, that are all themed around different animals. People with special souls are called True Holders, meaning they're meant to wield one of them. You suit the Butterfly miraculous."

"Hello..."

Marinette smiled softly, scooping up the kwami that had greeted in a hesitant manner. It was purple with small wings, and had a swirled spot atop its head.

"This is Nooroo-" he shyly waved, "-who grants the power of Transmission."

"Transmission?"

She gained a sad look, and tilted her head up to Red Hood. The god on her shoulder cuddled up to her hair as she answered, "It...It's a sensitive topic. The villain back in Paris used Transmission to turn civilians into monsters."

Jason embraced her tight, whilst sharing a secretive glance to the alarmed Batman nearby. He nodded his head, and watched as the Dark Knight clenched his fists with a straight face.

The one he was holding pulled back. "I better start on removing the Lazarus. Plagg, could you help?"

"Sure thing, Bug."

A miniature black cat whizzed up to her head of hair, and lazed as she strolled up to Robin. She knelt down beside him, and closed her eyes. All of a sudden, a green force-field with the texture of a shell surrounded them both.

Dick jumped back. Red Hood narrowed his eyes.

"The Guardian simply needs to concentrate to extract the Lazarus," another kwami assured. "My name is Wayzz. I grant the ability of Protection."

"Maybe I have had too much coffee," Tim murmured. "Oh, wait, I just remembered something. She's going to design my suit for the Wayne Gala. Can I ask if I can see what she's done so far?"

"Easy there, Timbers. Nettie doesn't even know your identity yet."

"Do you think we should tell her them?" Nightwing quizzed.

"Are you saying that we shouldn't?"

"Of course not, Jaybir-"

"Yes."

Batman sat straight, despite feeling the stares studying him close. "Yes," he repeated. "I think that we should. Besides, it would be better than leaving out that we're the ones hosting the very gala that she's attending."

**~*~*~**

"What are the expectations of being a 'True Holder', as you say?"

Marinette thought for a moment, glancing to the side, and Damian couldn't help but note the way her lip jut out. The way she seemed to be pouting. The way that her eyes sparkled in confusion.

"Well...there aren't any explicitly, now that I think about it."

The vigilante's eyes wandered over to Nooroo. He raised a brow, before slowly reaching a hand out. The kwami flinched. He felt a surge of anger flow through him.

"Sorry about that. His old holder was Hawk Moth and he was, well...horrible to say the least. Just- don't raise your voice or anything, okay?"

Robin found himself nodding.

A hand was placed to his chest, and he grabbed it by the wrist as an instinct. His head snapped up, only to be met with the woman he was talking to close to his face.

"I need you to relax for me, okay? It might hurt for a bit, but Nooroo will be here for you," she placated, until a smile took over her features. "You, you have a good heart. I can sense it. I'm sure you wouldn't turn people into monsters like _he_ did."

"What?"

She let in a breath of air. Thin fingers pet Nooroo's head. "Transmission is meant to be used to turn people into Champions - to give them powers and let them achieve a goal they want. Holders of the Butterfly miraculous sense emotions to figure out who to share their magic with. Hawk Moth used negative emotions, meaning the Champions were evil and worked for him."

"I see..." he started. His mouth opened and closed a few times. "But, why am _I_ a True Holder? I'm not an expert when it comes to emotions. Rather, I would say that I'm the opposite."

Marinette giggled.

His heart fluttered slightly at the action.

"I know- well, _knew_ someone like that. She was exactly like you. All I have to say is that you shouldn't bring yourself down like that. Who cares if you might be an emotionless robot from time-to-time? It doesn't make you any less empathetic."

"Gotta agree with her. My Bug knows what she's talking about," Plagg drawled. "Kagami's an angry rich kid like you."

"Plagg!"

"What? I'm not wrong, am I Sugar Cube?"

**~*~*~**

"Miss Tsurugi. Your dress for the Wayne Gala has been designed and sewn. You may view it this evening at the appointment that your mother has organised."

"Thank you, Jean. You may leave now."

Footsteps echoed as the man walked away from Kagami's bedroom. The fencer inhaled through her nostrils, before breathing out heavily. She kept a blank expression.

However, anyone observant would notice the tears forming in her sharp eyes. They stared to a frame by her bedside, and softened at what was displayed in it.

A teenager with midnight pigtails. Red hairties and dozens of freckles. Peace signs and a bright smile.

Next to her was another female, who's features lacked emotion. Her locks were short and the same midnight as the other girl's. A blush was apparent on her cheeks.

"Marinette..." Kagami murmured. "I promise that I'll find you at the gala..."


	16. Sixteen

"Jay-Jay, I already said no."

"Oh, come on! Please, Nettie?"

" _No._ "

Jason practically pouted. "But why not?"

"Because I have all of my works and commissions at my house, not to mention the Miracle Box and maps to a whole load of places in Gotham that I'm planning to break into."

He rose a brow, asking, "You're going to _what_ now?"

"Well, I have to get the miraculous one way or another. Stealing is the best tactic to use," Marinette replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Besides, Aunt Selina taught me that and I wouldn't want to ignore her lessons."

"We can just buy those artefacts that you need, so there's no point in-" he started, before cutting himself off when processing her words. "Wait, Selina as in Selina Kyle? Cat Woman? I thought that you two had a whole rivalry going on?"

"The public think that her and Multimouse do, which is the point. She's actually one of the main reasons that I'm so good at stealing - not to brag or anything like that."

"...Huh. I guess you're already a part of the family then."

"What?"

Jason grinned, as he drawled, "Bruce is a sort of...'serial adopter', if you will. I'm pretty sure he's planning on adopting you into the family. You being under his partner's wing basically means you're my legal sister now."

"But Aunt Selina isn't married," she argued. "And her and Batman don't work together that often from what I can tell."

He shrugged. "They have a kinda on-and-off relationship. It...it's complicated."

She nodded in understanding. "Okay, I get that, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to change my decision."

"Please do! You staying in the Manor would be way better than dealing with everyone else - except Alfred and Cass."

"Cass?"

"Another adopted sibling. She's awesome, trust me. I'll have to introduce you to each other," he explained. "Anyway, Nettie, is there any way that I can get you to change your mind?"

"No."

"A new sewing machine?"

"Nope."

"Fabric supplies?"

Marinette pursed her lips, making her brother grin. He placed a finger at his chin and began to say, "Hmmm...how about a month's worth of coffee?"

She suddenly started to vibrate in excitement, looking like she was about to explode. He shared a smirk with the black cat kwami sat on her shoulder, just as she finally let out one word.

"Fine!"

Jason laughed. He ruffled her hair - causing her to swat his hand away - before bumping his fist against one of Plagg's paws.

The woman shook her head fondly at the sight, then sighed. "I guess it can't be that bad. Plus, this'll give me time to get specifics from Tim about his suit and train you guys more."

"Oh yeah, about that. I wanted to ask something."

She hummed for him to do so.

"Will my costume make me look like a furry?"

**~*~*~**

"Hey, Bruce. You called me?"

"Yes," he responded, keeping his body facing the Bat Computer. "I think you know what this conversation is going to be about."

Jason snorted. "Me convincing Nettie to stay? The deal we made was genius, I know."

Bruce paused in his typing. "...No. I wanted to discuss what would happen at the Wayne Gala in a week's time. It has come to my attention that someone she is familiar with will be attending."

"Crap, really?" he cursed, walking forward to observe the screen on the wall. It displayed a list of names in alphabetical order - most were of famous and rich from Gotham, yet one in particular caught his attention.

"Wait...'Kagami Tsurugi'? Isn't she Nettie's ex-girlfriend?"

The man nodded in agreement, prompting Jason to think for a moment. He glanced to the side, just as a grin stretched across his features. "You're planning on setting them up, aren't you?"

Bruce stayed silent for a moment. "Not just them. I want to get someone else involved as well. Someone similar to Miss Tsurugi."

"Isn't she like an angry rich kid?" he quizzed to himself. "That's what Plagg told me, anyway. Who else is like that?"

There were a few seconds that lasted of quiet, consisting of him thinking to himself in a confused stupor. That was when an idea struck him.

His head slowly turned to the male beside him. "You wouldn't happen to be talking about _Demon Spawn_ , would you?"

**~*~*~**

Damian stumbled back. It felt as if a gust of wind had just blown through his lungs and through his body, prompting him to heave a breath as he held a hand to his heart.

Careful hands secured his stance. "Damian, are you okay? What happened?"

He fought off the blush surfacing when seeing that Marinette was the one keeping him steady, and instead stood back up. "I just felt something."

Red Robin chuckled from where he was. "Specifics, please? We all know what you feel whenever she's around. You're gonna have to give more information than that."

He glared at Tim with pink dusting his cheeks. The shade of them only got darker when Marinette piped up, "Who's 'she'?"

"No one!" he exclaimed.

"...Oookaaayyy...anyway, I'm guessing that you're sensing a negative emotion. It must be really strong judging by your reaction."

"Yes, it's...well, no not at all. It seems to be someone upset that their sister will be set up with someone they aren't very fond of. It's downright childish now that I go more into it."

"Great!" the female there enthused, clapping her hands. "A perfect way to start your training!"

"Wait, we're going to grant someone power to just- what, spend some time with their sister or something?" Red Robin questioned.

"I do not see a problem with the Guardian's decision," Longg spoke from his side. "It is best to work with your new abilities on someone who cannot cause any real damage. Besides, you might actually do a good deed for whoever is feeling so green."

"...Longg, the saying is feeling 'blue'."

"What?" the dragon said, confusion in his tone. "But Barkk told us kwami that- oh. That explains it. I apologise, Timothy."

"It's okay," he chuckled, switching his attention to the others in his presence. "So, how do we power up, or whatever?"

"Every miraculous has a certain phrase that will activate it. Yours would be 'Bring the Storm.' Damian's is 'Wings Rise'."

"I refuse to say such a thing."

"Dami..." she whined quietly, not noticing how he flushed at the nickname. "Just say it."

"No."

Marinette groaned. "Ugh, fine. Don't blame me if your outfit when you do eventually transform ends up looking like some fairy cosplay."

Red Robin snorted.

Marinette grinned.

Damian simply narrowed his eyes.

"...Nooroo, Wings Rise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, it's all coming together now 😊 I'm gonna try and design outfits for them but they'll probably be horrible 😅


	17. Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been working on the story, guys! I was drawing the outfits for Tim and Damian. 😊 Be sure to check the links of them out at the end of the chapter, they took a while to design. Thank you!

"...Nooroo, Wings Rise."

A flash of light shone in the room that they were in, prompting Tim to cover his eyes with an arm. Marinette simply watched with a raised brow, as a few seconds passed and everything soon died down.

What now stood in Damian's place was a figure dressed in dark attire. Their, _his,_ costume resembled that of Robin's, except it was completely purple and lacked the signature 'R'. There was a brooch pinned to the left of his chest instead.

A cloak - ash grey on the inside and a deep shade of violet on the other - was draped over his shoulders, and kept secured at his collar bone. Stemming down from that was column of shining graphite buttons, all shaped as rectangles.

His arms, legs and neck were a jet black, matching his onyx locks of hair. Butterfly clips sat nestled within the confines of his shoe-laces, on boots that were silver only at the soles.

The man brought up gloved hands to press against his face, where a flat mask was stuck. The lights overhead made it glimmer at just the right angle.

Tim snorted from where he was. "Nice costume, Mr Butterfly."

"At least mine is optimal for stealth, Drake."

Tim looked down at his outfit, that had morphed onto his body after he had called out his command quietly. "...Fair enough."

Marinette clapped her hands with enthusiasm. "Okay, guys! What will your names be?"

"Names?" Damian repeated in a questioning manner, and at her nod carried on, "Can they not remain the same?"

"Don't be such a party-pooper, Dami!" she exclaimed, not being able to fight off the pout that formed on her lips. "Besides, neither of you are dragons or butterflies as Robin and Red Robin."

"Well, my surname does mean dragon in a different language, so..." Tim piped up, before trailing off. "Maybe I can be called Drake."

The woman there face-palmed. "The Gotham press already has rumours of you having a crush on Tim Drake, since you always defend anyone talking bad about him. That name'll just confirm it."

He grimaced in understanding. "Then what about-"

"These colours look like that of the purple emperor," Damian interrupted him with, whilst gesturing to his own attire. "A species of butterfly."

"So...that's going to be your name?"

He stiffly nodded.

"Don't you wanna spice it up?" Marinette quizzed. "'Empereur Pourpre' sounds cool if you ask me."

Tim snorted. "Guess I can't be 'Crimson Dragon' if you're that. I don't want to be called a copycat or anything for using 'pourpre' too."

Damian scoffed, retorting, "You already are as Red Robin."

" _Excuse_ me, but if I remember correctly-"

Marinette stopped the oncoming argument with a stern, "Guys, stop." She eyed them carefully before deciding, "Okay, Dami you'll be 'Empereur Pourpre', and Tim you'll be 'Crimson Dragon'."

The duo opened their mouths to speak, yet both halted in the attempt when catching a glimpse of her expression. She smiled at their silence, then asked, "Can we start the training?"

The youngest male mumbled an agreement. "Yes. Where will we acquire a butterfly?"

"Here," she responded noncommittaly, going up to a nearby windowsill. A white-winged insect landed on the surface of her finger, and she transported it back to them with a gentle smile.

"How long has that been there?"

" _He_ has been there for five minutes. Why? Did you not notice?" Marinette pondered, tilting her head at the CEO in her presence. "Little Edward here's attracted to Dami's soul."

She guided the bug onto Empereur Pourpre's gloved palm, and on instinct he cupped it gently. "You need to focus on your magic," Marinette whispered encouragingly. "Focus on whatever that man is feeling and transfer it _all_ into Edward."

Damian closed his eyes, and proceeded to narrow his thoughts in concentration. He could sense the protective urges flowing through the man's veins, the anger at who he deemed to be trouble, the worry of losing his sister, and so much more.

There was a faint ache in his chest, that he pushed down until it left a tingle at his arms, then at his fingertips. He slowly allowed his vision to return, and watched as an aqua flash shone in his grip.

What fluttered out was a majestic butterfly, glowing a light blue that matched the roots of his hair. It hovered for a few moments in front of them all, before drifting off through the open door to their right.

Crimson Dragon rose a brow. "Why didn't he take the window?"

"Maybe it's faster through the Manor...?" Marinette guessed, shrugging her shoulders in confusion. "Anyway, great job! Now all that we need to do is wait for a connection. I'll tell you what to say."

"Okay."

Silence lingered in their surroundings for several seconds, until Damian brought up another question.

"Is it needed for me to create an outfit for who the akuma infects?"

She turned to face him. " _Sauveur_ is what they are, not akuma. Your Champions are meant to be called saviours, as well. Hawk Moth had a sick sense of humour to name them devils instead."

Tikki whizzed up to land on her shoulder for comfort, and she pet the spot on the kwami's head. "Oh, and you won't have to come up with their clothes, or name for that matter. They consciously decide them on their own, based on their thoughts or goals."

Tim strolled up to her with a pensive expression, as he toyed with the bo-staff in his hands. "Is there a way to remove this cloak-thing on my back? I feel like it could end up being a danger in some situations."

"Yes, there is. Longg could easily get rid of it if you ask him politely to," she replied, scanning over the article of clothing with a curious gaze. "But I'm positive that it could have a reason for being there. Maybe they're wings of some sort? You are a dragon, after all."

He hummed, as he twirled his weapon as a sign of consideration.

Empereur Pourpre suddenly sucked in a breath, and glanced to Marinette with a hint of worry in his movements. She hesitated only a moment, then nodded slowly.

A purple symbol lit up his features.

**~*~*~**

"Jason, there's no guarantee that the two will even get-"

"As I said before, there is _no_ way I'm letting Nettie date him!" the vigilante shouted, whilst grabbing a red helmet and sliding it atop his head. "She deserves someone that's not him!"

Bruce stood up. In a calm voice, he stated, "Jason, that's enough."

"No, it's not," he growled, voice at the edge of an angry hiss as he turned back with a tense posture. "I don't care what you say, but I'm going to make sure that Nettie _stays_ happy here - away from her parents, her city, her problems, _and_ Damian - one way or another."

He grabbed a black ring from a table nearby, and slid it onto one of his fingers. The colour of it changed into a shining gold as he did so, and he swore that the sensation of something being lifted off of his heart lingered in his chest at the same time.

As he faced the exit of the Bat Cave to leave, he didn't notice the insect flying closer to his hand from a vent - not until a surge of power suddenly flooded his senses.

"Hello. My name is Empereur Pourpre," a monotonous voice spoke in the confines of his mind, causing him to freeze. "I've come to offer you the chance to be a saviour to your sister."

Batman noticed the lack of movement from Red Hood, making him stalk closer and into his vision cautiously. "Jason?"

He narrowed his eyes when seeing the glowing symbol in front of the man's helmet.

Jason listened a minute more to the words from Empereur Pourpre, before an unseen smile overtook his expression. It wasn't malicious in intent, rather, it was relieved in manner.

So was his tone as he spoke, "Yes. I'll keep Marinette safe."

What he nor Bruce were aware of was the flash of panic from Damian a floor above them, just as a sheen of light blue covered his body from head-to-toe.

**~*~*~**

_**Butterfly!Damian Artworks:** [1](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/620561809104076800/a-miniature-meeting-with-multimouse-empereur) [2](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/621914761783902208/stop-killing-meeee-thank-you-so-much) [3](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/624719855481913344/guys-we-need-to-protect)_

_**Dragon!Tim Artworks:** [1](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/620621818711179264/a-miniature-meeting-with-multimouse-crimson) [2](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/621914761783902208/stop-killing-meeee-thank-you-so-much) [3](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/621976558653079552/akimmito-i-wanted-to-draw-so-i-made-this) [4](https://miraculous786.tumblr.com/post/624719855481913344/guys-we-need-to-protect)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave your thoughts on Dragon!Tim and Butterfly!Damian in the comments. 😊 Are the names good for them? And the costumes?


	18. Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😗 here's the tea, sisters.

"What do you mean that the saviour is Jay-Jay?"

"Exactly that..." Damian breathed, his eyes wide and body stiff. Flooding his mind were emotions of anger and hatred, along with the relief and determination that emanated from Red Hood.

Tim rose a brow. His expression was one of worry. "Can't we just break the object to save him like we would have if it was someone else? Then we can purify Edward and everything will be normal again, right?"

"Hypothetically, yes, but he's the owner of the Black Cat miraculous, which makes it extremely dangerous. It's arguably worse than attempting to control a vessel of Creation," Marinette replied, grimacing while poising a hand at her chin.

"Dangerous?" Empereur Pourpre spoke. "How so?"

"I...well, there was an incident years ago with Adrien Agreste getting akumatized into Chat Blanc. He managed to kill billions in the span of a second."

The split-cloak on Crimson Dragon's back shifted on its own out of surprise. "What?" he whispered, tone laced with disbelief. "How is that possible?"

"The enhanced destructive power he was given was too much to handle," she answered, shaking her head. "It ended all life on Earth except for his." Her form shuddered at the memory.

" _All_ life? Including yours?"

The woman nodded to agree. "I was sent from the past to cure him and save the timeline that he'd doomed. I managed to succeed and prevent Chat Blanc's akumatization from even happening in the first place. No one was aware of it happening...except for me," she informed, pursing her lips.

"Jesus..." Tim voiced after a few moments. "You think Jason'll be the same?"

"It depends..." she thought aloud. "Did he have the ring on?"

Empereur Pourpre met her gaze with his, as he hesitantly input, "Edward went into it."

Marinette's eyes widened. "W-What? No, no, no, no, no, no, no...that is-" she rambled, before cutting herself off and whipping back to the two. "The only way to destroy a miraculous is with a Cataclysm! How else are we going to defeat him?"

Damian, sensing her panicked emotions, moved forward to calm her, not even realising what had escaped his mouth. "Angel, we'll figure out a way. Don't worry."

Her muscles eased up the slightest bit, which he took note of, and she forced herself to stop the circles that she was treading in out of habit. "Was Jay-Jay transformed?" the designer queried, biting her lip.

"No. Todd was only wearing the ring."

"Okay...we can try and find Plagg," she finally decided in a sigh, her body sagging as relief and trepidation came upon her. A gloved hand moved to rub circles on her back, making her smile gratefully and cause pink to dust Damian's features.

Tim quirked a brow in interest.

"Tikki?"

A red kwami zipped into view, deciding to settle on one of two small shoulders and nuzzle into her neck. She giggled before asking, "Can you sense him anywhere?"

Tikki seemed to squint. Her bluebell eyes flashed focus as she glanced about, then soon gained a knowing yet confused glint. She whizzed to the nearby door and said in a baffled manner, "Plagg, he...he's underground...?"

"In the Bat Cave," Tim supplied. "We better get there quick before Jason-"

He was cut off by a loud crash in the hallway, prompting them all to snap their attention there. It was followed by a few snippets of clutter, then the unmistakable sounds of confused voices.

"Empereur, I need you to focus on trying to extract the sauveur without hurting Jason if you'll be able to. That way we _might_ be able to save him without Plagg if we can't get to him in time," Marinette advised. "Crimson, you might wanna take off your cloak since it might hinder your abilities. We don't know the purpose of it yet."

They both nodded.

She let out a breath. "Tikki, spots on." After a pink light washed her in spotted attire, she pushed open the door leading to where the chaos was, only to be met with a body slamming into her. A grunt escaped her mouth, as she rushed to steady herself and the person - Dick.

"Nettie, what a surprise...I was waiting for you to show up," a familiar voice said, making her eyes go wide. Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo and spun it in vigorous circles, then stared up at who had spoken.

It was Red Hood, from what she could tell. However, the helmet that he usually adorned was gone. Instead sat a hood that masked his face in a dark shadow, only allowing her to see a part of his crimson lenses. Attached to his back and waist were an assortment of blades, along with numerous gadgets.

The overall aesthetic his outfit had consisted of differing shades of black and grey, contrasting what she and her allies wore. Jason took a step forward, and she instinctually took one back.

"Holy..." Dick breathed. "H-He looks how he did after coming out of the pits..."

"The Lazarus?" Marinette whispered.

She couldn't stop the gulp that she forced down her throat at his nod.

**~*~*~**

"This is _not_ good."

Bruce whipped his head to the source of the voice, only to see a pair of emerald eyes staring back at him. He straightened himself before asking, "What happened to Jason?"

"One of your kids must've used the Butterfly miraculous's power on him," Plagg replied, whizzing in front of the man. "We better go to him, quick. I'm the only one that can destroy his ring."

Questions lingered in the back of his mind, yet he wisely chose to ignore them and walk to his suit in the Bat Cave. Alfred watched in the background, concern lingering on his expression as he began to assist in gathering necessary weapons for Batman.

**~*~** ***~**

"Lightning Dragon!"

Jason snapped his head back, holding out a sword just in time to clash with the bo-staff aiming to hit him. He blocked and parried the oncoming attacks from Tim, who dodged with surprising speed thanks to the real horns at his hair.

A sabre struck Red Hood's chest, sending him rolling across the grass that lay beneath them. He ignored the stinging and drops of blood from his torso and sent a glare to Damian.

L'Empereur glared back.

"Wind Dragon!" Crimson yelled, making the symbol on his chest light up as he melded into a white mist. Jason grunted, feeling mud and rock dig into his skin after being tossed across the gardens of Wayne Manor.

He stumbled up. His pupils - that were an unnatural bright blue - zeroed in on a body laying metres away, sprawled with a kwami resting on their stomach. Their midnight locks shimmered from the sun's attention.

The saviour pulled out a grappling hook and shot it out to Marinette. With practised precision she landed in his arms, limp but with wide eyes.

"Jason, don't do this...Dami didn't tell Bruce to do anything involving us. It's not his fault," she pled quietly. Her voice was wobbly as if fearing that he'd do wrong, provoking his heart to clench.

"I know that now, Nettie, don't worry," he soothed, before scanning about in contemplation. "I couldn't care less about the Demon Spawn right about now, anyway."

She let out a soft gasp. "...Jay-Jay?"

He tilted his head. "Yep. Don't tell the fam and everything'll be good. I just wanna spend some time with you since I know now that you won't be with Damian."

"Well..." Marinette giggled in a whisper. "What if I decide I want to be?"

"...Don't push it."

Empereur Pourpre suddenly landed in front of the two, Crimson Dragon at his side. He pointed his cane up and threatened, "Put her down, _Todd._ This doesn't concern your sister in the slightest."

He moved forward, scoffing in disbelief. Only one of them didn't notice the amusement laced within the action, or the woman in his arms grinning. "I'm afraid it does, Brat. Now, if you'll excuse us...we have some brother-sister bonding to catch up on."

Tikki handed him a device from his utility belt, whilst keeping behind his leg to hide out of sight. The vigilante gave a lazy wave to his brothers before a smoke bomb activated around him, leaving them to watch as he disappeared into thin air.

"Where's Jaybird gone?" someone shouted from the entrance of the manor, causing the heroes to turn there. Nightwing jogged up the winding paths, out of breath and dazed.

Tim sighed. "You just missed him, Dick."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? (๑・v・๑)


End file.
